


Best Shots

by Brambleshadow_of_WindClan



Category: NCIS
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Romance, Songfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-08-17
Updated: 2012-12-31
Packaged: 2017-10-22 17:18:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 60
Words: 51,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/240515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brambleshadow_of_WindClan/pseuds/Brambleshadow_of_WindClan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of one-shot songfics.Since I keep writing them, I just decided to post them all in one story. Mostly Tiva, some Jibbs and McAbby. Please R&R.</p><p>If any are AU, I will put the symbol next to the name.</p><p><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> I do not, nor will I ever, own NCIS or any of the songs I use. Those all belong to their respective owners. I am merely borrowing them for our amusment, and (hopefully) putting them back unharmed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All Eyes

It was a normal Wednesday evening in the bullpen at NCIS headquarters. The members of Team Gibbs—Special Agents Timothy McGee, Anthony DiNozzo, and Ziva David—were messing around when: "TONY!"

The angry shout came from Ziva, who had been looking at Tony's desktop. Exchanging a deer-caught-in-headlights look with famous author Thom E. Gemcity, Agent DiNozzo cautiously made his way over to the furious Israeli-American. "Yes?"

She pointed to the screen. "I thought I told you to burn those!" Ziva glared accusingly at her partner. On the screen were his pictures of her relaxing from when they were in L.A., years ago.

 _Hey hot shot boy  
Hand on your hip  
You're wasting your time  
Giving me lip  
When you look at me  
It melts my legs—and wraps me around your fingertip_

"I thought I did," Tony defended himself, planting his hand on his hip.

"Don't waste your time giving me lip," Ziva hissed through gritted teeth.

Tony only looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Despite herself, Ziva's legs felt like Jell-O. Her anger faded, but not completely.

 _You don't have to say a word  
To get a hold of me  
Take me . . . shake me  
Burning gravity baby  
Look at me  
Look at me_

Almost immediately, Tony dropped his gaze and focused on McGee. "McGoogle!"

"Huh?" Tim's head shot up, panic flaring slightly in his eyes. As he looked at Ziva's face, comprehension dawned on him. "Ziva, no, I swear I deleted them," he stammered.

The former Mossad liaison officer didn't entirely believe him. "Admit it, and I will spare you _one_ of your hands," she snarled, holding up an index finger for emphasis.

"Well . . . uh . . . it must have transferred to Tony's computer," the computer geek stammered, perspiration forming on his forehead.

DiNozzo shot an amused warning look at Ziva. Even though she was focused on McGeek, she could feel his gaze boring into her. He didn't have to say a word to grab her attention anymore. Actually, Ziva reflected, he never did from when they first met. Heat flooded through her as she let her thoughts wander over to her partner. _Take me,_ she found herself thinking, _shake me. Burning gravity, baby, look at me._

 _You're all eyes—all eyes  
Touching me in the night  
You're all eyes—and those eyes  
Are tearing me up inside_

By now, it was completely dark outside. Leroy Jethro Gibbs suddenly appeared. "Everyone, it's late. Go home. Get some rest."

Ziva, Tony, and Tim sighed and rose from their desks. As she headed toward the elevator, Ziva could feel Tony's eyes trained on her, almost touching her skin. Conflicting emotions churned in her as the elevator started heading down.

 _We go walking you and I  
If some woman turns your eye  
I pull you back in my direction  
To keep you by my side_

Outside in the parking lot, Tony pulled Ziva aside before they reached her car.

"What do you want, Tony," she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was just thinking we could walk around for a bit," he explained. "It's nice out."

Ziva didn't reply immediately; she was contemplating her options. "Sure," she finally decided.

Smiling broadly, Tony took her arm and led her out of the Yard.

They had been walking for at least ten minutes when some woman caught Tony's eye. The senior field agent started to turn to get a better look, but Ziva lightly touched his arm, pulling him back in her direction.

"Tony, remember that I could easily kill you if I wanted."

"Yes, Probie-Wan-Kenobi," he said, chastised.

 _You don't have to go nowhere  
To get where you should be  
You don't have to look around  
Baby just you look at me—look at me—look at me_

He started forward again. Ziva, after a brief hesitation, easily caught up with him. _Just look at me,_ she found herself begging silently.

 _You're all eyes—all eyes  
Touching me in the night  
You're all eyes—and those eyes  
Are tearing me up inside_

 _Finally,_ he turned his eyes on her. Even though it was a warm night, Ziva could feel the heat of his gaze caressing her bare skin. She wanted to melt into him, yet at the same time she wanted to run. Amazing how his eyes could do all that to her, she mused.

 _You're all eyes—all eyes  
Touching me in the night  
You're all eyes—and those eyes  
Are tearing me up inside_

 _You're all eyes—all eyes  
Touching me in the night  
You're all eyes—and those eyes  
Are tearing me up inside_

Some twenty minutes later, the two NCIS agents were back in the parking lot. Ziva's conflicted emotions had settled somewhat by then, and she felt immensely relieved as she climbed in her car and pulled out. However, she still couldn't shake the feeling of Tony's emerald-colored gaze roaming over her body. Shivering slightly, she glanced in the side mirror and discovered Tony watching her. Soon he became a tiny figure in the distance as she turned and headed home.

 _You're all eyes—all eyes  
Touching me in the night  
You're all eyes—and those eyes  
Are tearing me up inside_

 **Song: "All Eyes" by Heart**


	2. All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T
> 
> Summary: One night of love was all they knew . . .

_It was a rainy night when he came into sight  
Standing by the road with no umbrella, no coat  
So I pulled up along side and I offered him a ride  
He accepted with a smile so we drove for a while_

The windshield wipers on Ziva's car were busy fighting the downpour when she spotted a figure up ahead, soaked through to the skin with rain. Slowing down, she pulled up along side and found herself drowning in clear green eyes. His medium-brown hair was black with rain.

"Do you want a ride?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied with a smile that showed off straight white teeth. Shaking his head like a wet dog, he climbed in, spraying Ziva with water. She just laughed and stepped on the accelerator, causing her passenger to pull a Flat Stanley against his seat.

 _I didn't ask him his name, this lonely boy in the rain  
Fate, tell me it's right is this love at first sight  
Please don't make it wrong just stay for the night_

"What was that for?" he asked.

Ziva smiled and glanced over at him.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Where did you learn to drive?"

"In Mossad, it is the one way to avoid an attack."

"That's not an answer!" he complained.

The Israeli just chuckled and prayed silently, _Fate, tell me it's right, is this love at first sight? Please don't make it wrong. Just let him stay for the night._

 _All I wanna do is make love to you  
Say you will  
You want me too  
All I wanna do is make love to you  
I've got lovin' arms to hold on to_

As Ziva drove, she could feel her desire growing. It seemed like there was an electric current running between them. Somehow, she knew he felt it too, and she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

 _So we found this hotel, it was a place I knew well  
We made magic that night. Oh he did everything right  
He brought the woman out of me, so many times, easily  
And in the morning when he woke all I left him was a note_

Breaking the thick silence between them, her passenger cleared his throat and said, "So . . . I'm Tony. What's your name?"

"Ziva."

"Nice name."

"Thanks."

Suddenly, Ziva noticed she was extremely tired. In the same heartbeat, she spotted a hotel she knew well. Struggling not to yawn, she pulled into the parking lot, stopped the car, climbed out, and made a mad dash for the hotel door, Tony right on her heels.

After securing a room for the night, they made their way to it, the desire between them increasing with each step.

However, as soon as Tony saw the TV, he had to check out all the different channels. Ziva could hear him muttering to himself: "No . . . forget it . . . nothing good on there . . ." Finally he threw the remote down and turned to his roommate. "So, Zi, anything you want to do?"

She grinned impishly. "I have something in mind."

"Like what?"

"You'll see, Tony."

"Why wait?" he asked, moving closer to her. His touch sent shivers up her spine.

Had his eyes said yes? Ziva didn't wait to be sure. Her hands wrapped around his neck, bringing him closer. Pleasure coursed through her when their lips met. Heat that rivaled a forest fire burned between them. Tony's bare hand snaked under her shirt and rested on her stomach.

When his mouth left hers to taste her neck, Ziva couldn't hold back any longer. Giving in to what her body was screaming for her to do, she gasped, "Tony, take me."

Soon there were no barriers between them as they tumbled onto the bed.

~*~*~*~

When Ziva woke hours later, she yawned, stretched, and glanced over at the alarm clock. It was only 05:30. Smiling slightly, the pretty Israeli pushed her covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Ziva dressed quickly and found a notepad and pencil. She scribbled down a note and left it on the nightstand where Tony would see it. After she shot one last affectionate glance at her lover, she left, hoping never to see him again.

 _I told him I am the flower you are the seed  
We walked in the garden we planted a tree  
Don't try to find me, please don't you dare  
Just live in my memory, you'll always be there_

 _All I wanna do is make love to you  
One night of love was all we knew  
All I wanna do is make love to you  
I've got lovin' arms to hold on to_

 _Oh, oooh, we made love  
Love like strangers  
All night long  
We made love_

 _Then it happened one day, we came round the same way  
You can imagine his surprise when he saw his own eyes  
I said please please understand  
I'm in love with another man  
And what he couldn't give me, oh, whoa, was the one little thing that you can_

Ziva strode into the orange-stained walls of NCIS headquarters and stopped dead when she saw him. The sight jogged something deep in her mind, some half-buried memory. The Mossad officer quickly regained her cool composure and sauntered over to the NCIS agent's desk. "Having phone sex?' she inquired.

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo slammed the phone down on the receiver. "Uh, no." He paused, considering how much to tell her. "Actually, I was just remembering my partner."

"Half naked?"

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

Ziva didn't answer him; she was too busy studying him, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. Finally, it clicked. "Have you ever hitchhiked before?"

He started, surprise flaring in his emerald-colored eyes. Warily, he replied, "Once. There was this really hot chick—she looked kinda like you, actually—and we stayed the night at this hotel. . . ."

"Let me guess," Ziva said. "When you woke, all she left you was a note."

He studied her with a strange look in his eyes. "Yeah. It said—"

" 'I am the flower, you are the seed. We walked in the garden . . .' " Ziva recited.

Tony stared at her. "It was you," he said softly. "Ziva . . ."

She cut him off by putting a finger to his lips. "Tony, is there anywhere we can talk without being overheard?" Her brown eyes flicked over meaningfully to McGee, Gibbs, and Director Shepard, who were quickly approaching. Well, Tim was seated at his desk shooting curious glances at Officer David and his co-worker.

"Yeah," he replied, moving toward the elevator. Ziva sighed and followed him after checking that the coast was clear.

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind them, DiNozzo turned off the power. "What are you _doing_ here, Zi?"

"I'm Ari's control officer."

"Well, I'd wish you luck, but I wouldn't mean it."

Ziva swallowed hard and bit her lower lip. "Tony, there's something I have to tell you."

He closed what little distance remained between them. "I'm all ears."

I'm sure you are, Ziva retorted silently. Out loud, she begged, "Please, please understand. I'm in love with another man, and what he couldn't give me was the one little thing that you can."

Tony just stared at her, dumbstruck. Finally, he said sarcastically, "Oh, this is just great."

From somewhere nearby came the strains of a classic rock song which suited how Ziva felt perfectly:

 _All I wanna do is make love to you  
One night of love was all we knew  
All I want to do is make love to you  
Come on, say you will, you want me too_

DiNozzo shot one last glance at her before he flipped on the switch and strode out of the elevator angrily as soon as the doors opened. Ziva groaned in frustration and followed him, once again feeling that old tension between them.

 _All I wanna do is make love to you  
One night of love was all we knew  
All I wanna do is make love to you  
Say you will baby you want me too_

 _All night long  
All night long  
All night long  
All night long_

 _All I wanna do  
All I wanna do  
All I wanna do  
All I wanna do  
All I wanna do is make love to you_

 _One night of love was all we knew  
Yeah  
All night long_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" by Heart


	3. Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Tiva
> 
> Rating: K+

_I hear the ticking of the clock  
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark  
I wonder where you are tonight  
No answer on the telephone  
And the night goes by so very slow  
Oh I hope that it won't end though  
Alone_

The only sound in the quiet darkness of the room was the ticking of the clock. Probationary NCIS Agent Ziva David lay sprawled on the couch, her hands resting behind her head.

 _Where is he?_ She cried silently as her thoughts drifted to Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, her partner. Feeling restless, she heaved herself to her feet and pulled out her cell phone, speed-dialing a familiar number. Ziva paced anxiously as the phone rang. At last, it went straight to voice-mail. The Israeli-American groaned in despair and snapped the phone shut. With nothing else to do, she flopped back down on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

Minutes trickled by so slowly, it felt as if she was lying there for days. Ziva hoped the long night wouldn't end with her all alone.

 _Till now I always got by on my own  
I never really cared until I met you  
And now it chills me to the bone  
How do I get you alone  
How do I get you alone_

Ziva smiled slightly as she pictured Tony with her. Until she had met him, she had taken care of herself, never really cared about anyone. As soon as she met Agent DiNozzo, however, all that flew out the window. Now all she had to do was figure out how to get him alone . . .

 _You don't know how long I have wanted  
to touch your lips and hold you tight, oh  
You don't know how long I have waited  
and I was going to tell you tonight  
But the secret is still my own  
and my love for you is still unknown  
Alone_

A tremor raced through her as she remembered their time undercover four years ago: his lips on hers, the feel of his hands caressing her skin . . . Tony had no idea how long she had wanted him or waited for him.

The door to her apartment opened, and Tony poked his head in.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked.

"Yes, come in." Only later would she remember that she hadn't received an answer from his cell.

He did, shutting the door behind him. Ziva's body thrummed with awareness and her need for him as he stepped closer to her. His scent, his nearness, was doing something to Ziva's insides. _Tell him,_ a little voice in her head demanded.

 _Okay,_ she replied silently.

"Tony," Ziva murmured, "there's something I have to tell you."

"What?"

Just as Ziva was about to answer, Tony's cell rang. The senior field agent checked the caller I.D., mouthed, "Gibbs" and answered, "DiNozzo."

"Tony, get Ziva. We've got a dead marine inRockCreekPark," Gibbs barked over the phone.

"Uh, Boss, she's right—" DiNozzo started to say but stopped. He snapped the phone shut. "He hung up."

"I know. I overheard everything," Ziva reminded him, biting back a groan of frustration. She reached for her gun, badge, and coat and started for her car.

As soon as they were out of her apartment, Tony asked, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Nothing," Ziva lied, picking up the pace.

 _Till now I always got by on my own  
I never really cared until I met you  
And now it chills me to the bone  
How do I get you alone  
How do I get you alone_

 _How do I get you alone  
How do I get you alone_

 _Alone, alone_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Alone" by Heart


	4. Bad Animals

_They walk into the lobby  
The pack in black  
Heads are turning  
But they don't look back_

It was a normal Tuesday night in the sleepy backwater town of Boulder. The windows seemed to be painted black and light flooded the hotel lobby. A few guests were milling around, as well as the hotel staff.

Suddenly the doors flew open and in walked a group of Feds in black. Heads turned to watch the team: a silver-haired older agent, a beautiful Israeli, a middle-aged guy with green eyes and brown hair, and a bestselling author. None of them looked back.

 _They must be crazy  
Not buying in  
Why those outsiders  
Got to shock and offend_

The team leader strode up to the desk. "Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS," he said to the terrified-looking clerk, flashing his badge. "These are Special Agents David, DiNozzo, and McGee." He gestured to the Israeli, Italian, and computer geek as he introduced them. "Have you seen this woman around recently?"

Gibbs reached into his pocket and produced a mug shot of a woman in her mid-twenties, with choppy auburn hair and green eyes. "Her name's Jade Farinelli."

"No, can't say I have," the clerk replied, thinking they had to be crazy not buying in. Who were these outsiders, to come barging in making demands? These Navy cops were making the other guests nervous.

 _They're bad animals—bad animals  
Got to swim upstream got a rebel seed  
Bad animals—bad animals  
Got to push the grain or go insane_

He eyed the team suspiciously, his brain already making assumptions. They had to push the grain or go insane.

Ziva returned the clerk's glare coolly. These guys just had to swim upstream. In fact, as she looked around, she saw a few teenagers with gang-affiliated tattoos. _These bad animals got a rebel seed,_ she thought, keeping an eye on the gang members.

 _Out here on the frontline  
Our territory is nighttime  
We walk the jungle line  
We stay alive_

 _Bad, bad, bad boys and dangerous girls  
They got no prescription, no  
They make their own styles_

They returned her gaze; then a few walked over to the team.

"Who do you think you are?" one of them growled, a muscular guy with tats all along his left arm.

"I could ask you the same question," Ziva retorted. "We're NCIS."

By now, Tony had noticed something was wrong, and he came up behind his partner. He didn't say anything, just stood there, reassuring Ziva that he had her back.

One of the other teens, a girl with slacks, a tight black T-shirt, and hard eyes, warned, "You're out of your territory."

"I don't think we are," Ziva replied, crossing her arms over her chest, showing off her badge and gun, which were flipped to her waist, the gun in its holster. "Out here on the frontline, our territory is nighttime."

"Why don't you take it outside," McGee interrupted, uneasily glancing at the gangsters, then to the ever dutiful Mossad agent.

"Fine by me," the final member of the gang put in, a girl like the second. They looked so much alike, Ziva couldn't help wondering if they were just sisters or twins. She quickly dismissed the thought as all five of them tromped outside.

The only light in the dark street came from streetlights, shining their amber glow on the two NCIS agents and three gangsters. Ziva finished her sentence, "Do I have to tell you that we walk the forest line and stay alive?"

At the teens' confused looks, Tony corrected, "It's 'jungle line,' Ziva."

"Oh, _now_ you tell me."

"Enough talk," the boy growled. He took a swing at Tony, while the two girls went for Ziva.

It was over in a minute, with all three gangsters doubled over on the floor in pain and the Feds perfectly fine. Ziva tugged Tony up and headed for the door.

"Cover me," she said dramatically, flinging the doors open and walking inside.

 _Typical family  
Trying not to stare  
Look a little closer now  
If you dare, if you dare, if you dare_

By now, the only people left in the lobby were Gibbs, McGee, the clerk, and a family. Of course, they were trying not to gawk at Tony, Ziva, Timothy McGeek, and the one and only Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Ziva exchanged a confused glance with Tony, then looked back at the family of four askance. "What?"

The oldest girl, who looked to be about twelve, ducked behind her mom, peeking out from the side at Tony and Ziva.

 _That's right,_ the probie thought. _Look a little closer now if you dare._

Terrified, the girl ducked back behind her mom. Ziva whirled at the sound of the door closing with a bang and saw the three gangstas they'd defeated earlier coming towards her with murder in their eyes.

 _Well, this is just great,_ Ziva thought sarcastically.

 _Bad animals—bad animals  
Got to swim upstream got a rebel seed  
Bad animals—bad animals  
Got to push the grain or go insane_

These guys just had to push it. _Don't they do anything else?_ Ziva thought exasperatedly. She knew the answer to that: they'd go insane if they didn't. _They're bad animals,_ she thought for the second time that night.

"Let's go," Gibbs suddenly ordered.

"But, Boss—" McGee protested.

"No one's seen her around here, McGee," the silver-haired fox said, striding away. He brushed past the gang members without a second glance, his team on his heels.

Before she closed the door, Ziva looked back and made a very rude hand gesture at the rebel teenagers. She was gone before they could retaliate.

 _Out here on the frontline  
Our territory is nighttime  
We walk the jungle line  
We stay alive_

 _Bad animals—bad animals  
Got to swim upstream got a rebel seed  
Bad animals—bad animals  
Got to push the grain or go insane_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Bad Animals" by Heart


	5. Call of the Wild

_After midnight  
I call you  
Even though I know better  
I just got to  
The moon is full  
My heart is hot  
And you know what I'm longing to do  
With this aching I got_

Silver moonlight filtered through the window and lit up a restless figure tossing and turning in its sheets. Finally, Ziva David snapped awake and focused on her alarm clock. The glowing green numbers read: 12:01 A. she shouldn't, and against her better judgment, Ziva reached for her cell phone on the nightstand and dialed his number. Outside her window, clouds obscured the light of the full moon. Her heart felt hot with anticipation.

"DiNozzo," came the voice on the other end of the line, thick and heavy with sleep.

"Shalom, Tony," Ziva replied.

"Ziva, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?"

"I, uh"—she fidgeted. Come to think of it, _why_ was she calling him aftermidnight?—"I . . . Oh, forget it. Tony, I think you know why."

"Would you speak English?"

"I am!" Ziva snapped. She sighed and ordered, "Just get over here ASAP!"

"Okay! Geez, I'm on my way, Zi," Tony told her before hanging up. Ziva smiled and did the same.

Thirty minutes later, Tony had arrived and let himself in. Just seeing him strengthened the ache in her chest. Tony carefully made his way over to her and stood within hugging distance of his crazy ninja. "What do you want, Ziva?"

By now it was as if she had no control over her body. She sidled up against him and whispered, "You know what I'm longing to do with this aching I got." Her head tilted seductively as she searched his face for an answer.

 _The call of the wild  
Oh baby can't you hear me calling  
Oooh . . .  
The call of the wild  
Call of the wild_

Ziva felt whatever she'd been feeling for him grow stronger, almost as if it was calling to him. It was primal, terrifying her with how strong it was. _Can't you hear me?_ her heart cried silently.

 _Shut up,_ she told it.

 _How can you ask me  
Why I'm pushing pushing  
When you know damn well  
What you do  
What you do to a woman  
I get so inspired  
Lying so close  
It's the flash and the flame and the fever  
I need the most_

Her partner suddenly looked nervous and inched around her, backing up so he put more space between them. "Ziva, why are you pushing it?"

Sudden disdain flared in her chocolate-brown eyes. Ziva exploded, "How can you ask me that when you know what you do to me?"

His green eyes lit up with wicked amusement as he caught her meaning, yet he made no move to come closer. Ziva solved that problem by moving into her room, coaxing Tony to follow her. The Israeli's need for him consumed her as he came up behind her.

A sudden idea forming in her mind, she swiftly kicked Tony's legs out from under him and let his momentum send them crashing down on to the mattress. The ex-Mossad officer's body filled with the delicious reality of him close to her. It was the flash and the flame and the fever she needed the most.

 _The call of the wild  
Oh baby can't you hear me calling  
Oooh . . .  
The call of the wild_

 _If I could chain you to me  
I'd do it in a minute  
My magic caravan  
Baby you'd be in it  
I'm hiding the prize and you're gonna win it  
You're gonna win it now_

 _The call of the wild  
Oh baby can't you hear me calling, calling  
Oooh  
The call of the wild  
Oooh  
The call of the wild  
Oooh  
Oh baby  
Listen to me howling_

 _The call of the wild  
Yeah  
Oooh  
Yeah_

 

I just left it where I did because I think it's pretty obvious what happens next, don't you?


	6. Cruel Nights

**Pairing: none**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Summary: Gibbs come out of his coma from "Hiatus" and all he can think about is Shannon and Kelly . . .**

 

 _Every night without you is more than I can bear  
Moonlight can be torture  
When your love isn't there  
I see you in the shadows  
I can hear you in the wind  
I think of you and I can feel my world closing in  
I can't sleep I keep wishing I could touch you  
I'd be fine if I could make it through  
Through these_

 _Cruel nights  
Cruel nights  
Missing you nights  
What do I do nights  
Cruel nights without your love_

NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs's eyes snapped open as he came out of the coma and immediately panicked, feeling a tube down his throat.

A doctor leaned over him, asking if he wanted the tube out. Gibbs blinked in response, and then sagged with relief when it was out and he could talk. Right then, though, the only thing on his mind was Shannon and Kelly, his murdered wife and daughter.

"You're in the hospital. You were in an explosion," the doc said.

Jethro nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"That's good," the doctor said to the other person in the room: an Englishman in his sixties with glasses, a suit, and a bow tie. "They rarely remember the incident."

"Hello, Jethro," the Englishman said, ignoring the doc and stepping forward. "You certainly gave us quite a scare."

Gibbs blinked in confusion. "I don't know you."

~*~*~*~

Hours passed, but as to how many, Gibbs had no idea. When he came out of a drug-induced stupor, moonlight filtered in through the window. Grief over Shannon and Kelly's death—as if it had just happened—swept over him. He imagined he could hearShannon's voice whispering in his ear. In his mind he saw the two of them, laughing over an inside joke.

Try as the former Marine might, he couldn't fall back to sleep. Jethro missed his first wife and daughter fiercely.

 _Counting every minute  
Every minute feels like days  
Feels like time is standing still since you've been away  
Always thought you'd stay forever  
Always thought that you'd be here  
Now it's been a lifetime since I've held you near  
Days crawl by, I keep wishing they'd be over  
But I know they're only leading me to  
To these_

 _Cruel nights  
Cruel nights  
Missing you nights  
What do I do nights_

 _Cruel nights without your love  
(Cruel nights) since we've been apart  
(Cruel nights) it's been tearing up my heart  
(What do I do nights) since you've ran away baby  
Cruel nights_

 _Oh I just can't get through another night  
Without you beside me (without you beside me)  
I need you beside me (I need you beside me)_

 _I can't sleep  
I keep wishing I could touch you  
I'd be fine if I could make it through  
Through these these cruel nights_

 _Cruel nights  
Missing you nights baby  
What do I what do I do nights  
Cruel nights without your love_

 _(Cruel nights) it's been tearing me apart  
(Cruel nights) you're playing with my heart  
(Cruel nights) since you've been away  
(Cruel nights) whoa baby  
(Cruel nights) these cruel nights, these cruel cruel nights  
(Cruel nights) come on come on baby_

 

 **Song: "Cruel Nights" by Heart**


	7. Total Eclipse of the Heart

**Pairing: Tiva**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Summary: Ziva is hurting over Rivkin's death, and Tony comes over to comfort her.**

 

Ziva woke up with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed. Rivkin's and Tony's faces kept swimming around in her head. It had been a month since Tony had killed him. She had been so shocked when she had entered her apartment after seeing them fighting through the window to see both of them lying on the floor, Rivkin dead and Tony still alive. Later, Tony told her it was in self defense, but Ziva didn't totally believe him. She had reason to believe he was jealous of her relationship with Rivkin.

Ziva shook off the memories and reached for her cell, dialing a familiar number. It rang and the person on the other end picked up.

"DiNozzo."

"Tony—"

"Ziva, it's the middle of the night!"

"Tony, I need you."

That stopped him mid-rant. "Where are you?"

"My apartment."

"Okay. I'll be right there." He hung up, and Ziva closed the phone with a snap. She laid her head back down on the pillow with a sigh. What was she doing— _thinking_ —of inviting Tony over? Then the answer came to her, sending a cold shiver down her spine. She _needed_ him. She had said it herself, but it was only for comfort, nothing else, she told herself firmly.

Throwing the covers back, she walked into the living room. As soon as she was in, there was a knock at the door. Ziva opened it, and Tony stepped inside.

There was concern in his green eyes as he asked, "What is it, Ziva?"

She didn't answer him. Not speaking, anyway. Ziva turned her back to him, eyes wet.

 _"(Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming 'round  
(Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears  
(Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by  
(Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes"_

She turned slightly, looking back at him. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Ziva continued after teasing him, "You trying to figure out the song?"

"Yeah, I am."

Ziva had to chuckle at that.

 _"(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart  
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart  
"And I need you tonight and I need you more than ever  
And if you only hold me tight  
We'll be holding on forever"_

"Ziva," Tony said her name softly. She saw him step forward and embrace her tightly.

 _"And we'll only be making it right 'cause we'll never be wrong  
Together we can take it to the end of the line  
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)  
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark  
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks"_

Tony looked startled and pulled back. "Who ever said I love you?"

Ziva smiled. "You make it totally obvious, DiNozzo." She felt the urge to smack him on the back of the head, but fought it.

He still looked troubled. "I didn't know you felt like this, Zi."

She tilted her head. "Figured it out yet?"

"Figured out what?"

"Which song this is!"

"Is it by Bonnie Tyler?"

"Yep."

"Well, that narrows it down," he said sarcastically.

"Just shut up and listen.

 _"I really need you tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight"_

Was that an insolent smile on her partner's face? Ziva didn't stop to think about it.

"Got an idea, yet?" she asked.

"Yep."

"Well?"

"Is it 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'?"

She ignored him.

 _"Once upon a time I was falling in love, but now I'm only falling apart  
There's nothing I can do . . . a total eclipse of the heart  
Once upon a time there was light in my life, now there's only love in the dark  
There's nothing I can say . . . a total eclipse of the heart"_

Tony gave a wide grin. "I knew it!"

That did it. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head.

"Will you focus here?" Ziva demanded.

"Ow! Yeah, I will. Jeez, Ziva. I had no idea you felt like that." He stepped closer to her. Ziva could feel his body heat. Suddenly, she was aware that she was still in her pajamas. She continued singing:

 _"(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart  
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart_

 _And I need you tonight  
And I need you more than ever  
And if you only hold me tight  
We'll be holding on forever  
And we'll only be making it right  
'Cause we'll never be wrong together  
We can take it to the end of the line  
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time  
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark  
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks"_

Ziva felt Tony's arms wrap around her and he brought her close. "Its okay, Zi," he murmured in her ear.

 _"I really need you tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight  
Forever's gonna start tonight_

 _Once upon a time I was falling in love  
But now I'm only falling apart  
Nothing I can say  
A total eclipse of the heart  
A total eclipse of the heart_

 _(Turn around, bright eyes)"_

 

 **Song: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler**

 **Reviews, anyone?**


	8. Fallen From Grace

**Pairing: kinda Jeanne/Tony, but it's more like Jeanne thinking about him**

 **Rating: K+, maybe T**

 

 _I pray for the love  
That's fallen from grace  
The tears left behind  
Won't wash from my face  
I'm left with all these feelings  
But nothing fills the space  
Of the love that once was  
That's fallen from grace_

Jeanne Bentoit splashed water on her face and looked up at her reflection in the mirror. Nope, still there. Tears still streaked her face, even though she'd left Tony behind a week ago. The pretty doc refused to admit it, but she missed Tony. She was left feeling angry at Tony for lying to her, confused, and upset, but nothing filled the space of the love that once was, that'd fallen from grace.

 _Every little picture  
Hanging on the wall  
Every little trace of you  
I've found them all  
I close my eyes  
It's all I can do  
Everywhere I look  
I see some part of you_

After wiping her face dry with a towel, Jeanne headed out of her bathroom and walked listlessly into the living room, where she flopped down on the couch. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through her text messages. There was nothing new, so Jeanne started looking through her pictures. Several of them were of Tony, her former boyfriend, who she'd discovered was a NCIS agent. She quickly deleted them and started looking around for other traces of her former partner.

After getting rid of them all, all she could do was close her eyes. Even after ridding herself of Tony's traces, she saw some part of him.

 _I been through every reason  
And they all seem to fit  
No one's pleaded guilty now  
There's nothing to admit  
There's no one to blame baby  
Once you believe  
'Cos people only touch and go  
But love will never leave_

Sighing, Jeanne rubbed her temples, flopped back down on the sofa, and put on some music. Relaxing, she mentally sorted through every reason why she'd left him. Finished with the psychoanalysis, she concluded that they all seemed to fit, even if no one had pleaded guilty. There wasn't even anyone to blame once she believed, 'cause people only touch and go, but love would never leave.

 _I pray for the love  
That's fallen from grace  
The tears left behind  
Won't wash from my face  
I'm left with all these feelings  
But nothing fills the space  
Of the love that once was  
That's fallen from grace_

Tiredness swamped Jeanne as she leaned back and closed her eyes, praying for the love that had fallen from grace. Emotions churned inside her, but that didn't replace the hole in her heart.

 _I'm a little bit disappointed  
I'm a little bit relieved  
I feel a little sorry baby  
I feel a bit deceived  
No no not by you darlin'  
I know love's demanding  
Live and learning every day  
But never understanding  
Shattered dreams and memories of you  
Left hanging over me  
A cross to bear  
When love cools  
A crown of thorns  
For the queen of fools_

Jeanne felt disappointment and relief churn in her, and at the same time she felt a bit sorry for herself and deceived. Not by Tony—okay, maybe a little—but by the Director of NCIS. She knew love was demanding, living and learning every day but never understanding.

As she laid her head down on the pillow, eyes snapping open, images and memories of Tony "DiNardo" floated in her mind's eye. They were fragmented and not very sharp, but there were enough to be left hanging over the brunette doctor.

 _I ought to wear a crown of thorns for the queen of fools,_ Jeanne thought, punching the pillow with a balled-up fist. _How could I have been such an idiot for falling for all his smooth talking?_

 _I pray for the love  
That's fallen from grace  
The tears left behind  
Won't wash from my face  
I'm left with all these feelings  
But nothing fills the space  
Of the love that once was  
That's fallen from grace_

 

 **Song: "Fallen From Grace" by Heart**


	9. Heartbreaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a normal day at the office . . . until listening to "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar brings feelings into the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Tiva, sorta
> 
> Rating: K+

_Your love is like a tidal wave spinnin' over my head  
Drownin' me in your promises better left unsaid  
You're the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to please_

The sun warmed Special Agent Ziva David's back as she leaned against the window by her desk. Her chocolate-brown eyes scanned the area; then homed in on Tony DiNozzo. Of course, he was already drooling over some woman that they had brought in. Then his gaze shifted over to her with the same hungry look in his eyes. Ziva felt like she was drowning in promises that he'd made to her, which were better left unsaid. She also felt like his . . . affections for her was a tidal wave spinnin' over her head, hence the figurative drowning.

Ziva knew Tony's track record with women wasn't all that great—like Gibbs's—but that didn't stop her from secretly fantasizing about him.

She pushed off the windowsill and walked over to DiNozzo's desk, noticing that the hungry look in his eyes sharpened until it resembled that of a starving wolf.

 _Yeah, the invincible winner,_ she silently mocked, _and you know that you were born to please._

Over at his computer, McGee's fingers slipped on the keyboard and "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar could be heard—loudly. (Well, part of it.)

 _You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around—no no no_

Every head in the place whipped around to stare at them, showing McGee with a horrified look on his face and Tony and Ziva almost at blows. And then Tony _waved_ at them.

Poor Timothy looked like he wanted to die; Ziva looked ready to shoot someone (she'd pulled out her gun and was aiming); and Tony looked like he was having the time of his life.

Relaxing slightly, Ziva put her gun back where she'd grabbed it. The lyrics to the song playing remained in her head, reminding her of Tony. In their cases, it was so true.

 _Your love has set my soul on fire, burnin' out of control  
You taught me the ways of desire, now it's taking its toll  
You're the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner and you know that you were born to please_

DiNozzo's grin widened as he enjoyed Tim's discomfort and the song. Ziva, meanwhile, had other thoughts.

It was true that sometimes she felt something more for him than a brother-sister or working partnership, but to think she actually loved him? Ridiculous!

Now all eyes were focused on Tony and Ziva. Even Gibbs was watching from upstairs with a small smile on his face.

Thinking back, Ziva felt a flicker of doubt about her earlier conclusion. She _did_ love him, she realized. _Now it's takin' its toll._ Zi couldn't go five or ten minutes without thinking about him. There was just one little problem. Ziva tuned back into the song, eyes narrowed at DiNozzo.

 _You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around—no no no_

Across from Ziva, Tony gulped, realizing the song had taken on a personal meaning for him and his partner. _But that means . . . Oh no. Boss is going to kill us._

McGee, his initial fright and embarrassment over, smirked as he relished Tony's discomfort. _I didn't plan this, but these two are better than cable._

As he was thinking that, he was pretty sure he saw money exchange between agents, as if they were placing bets on either a fight or a kiss.

Watching DiNozzo, Ziva was vaguely aware of some commotion elsewhere but quickly dismissed it. _Don't you mess around with me,_ she thought, quoting the song.

 _You're the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner and you know that you were born to please_

 _You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me_

 _You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Don't you mess around with me  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream maker, love taker  
Heartbreaker_

As Tony figured out that this song was from Zi's point of view, he grinned. When he saw Ziva lean menacingly over his desk during the last three verses of "Heartbreaker" though, it faltered slightly.

His stunning partner came up behind him and whispered in his ear, "I'd take that song seriously if I were you."

"Oh, really? Which part?" DiNozzo grinned as he twisted his head around to look at her.

"I'd say all of it, but especially the warning," Ziva replied, her fingers inching toward a pencil on his desk.

Her fingers never made it.

Before Ziva quite knew what was happening, Tony had grabbed her wrist, twisted it behind her back, and had her on the floor. She quickly retaliated by kneeing him in a spot that shall remain unnamed.

"HEY! KNOCK IT OFF!" Gibbs roared from the stairwell.

The two NCIS agents froze and swiftly moved apart.

From all around the room, McGee saw agents cashing in their bets. The computer geek grinned and leaned back in his chair, settling his feet on his desk.

When Ziva was safely back at her desk—safely meaning no more bodily harm to her or her partner—Tony glanced over at McGee. With a smirk, he asked, "So, McGoogle, you have any more good music on there?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar
> 
> Well? Reviews anyone?


	10. Heartless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Tiva, sorta
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> AU

_The doctor said "Come back again next week, I think that you need me"  
All she did was cry, she wanted to die  
"Doctor when can you see me  
There's a guy out there, seems like he's everywhere, it just ain't fair"_

Ziva David looked nervously up at the doctor as she waited for his verdict. He ignored her look and said, "Come back again next week. I think that you need me."

She shot a furtive glance at the window before breaking down. She wanted to die, but didn't let it show. "Doctor, when can you see me?"

"How about next Saturday?"

Ziva looked out the window again and nearly jumped out of her skin. "There's a guy out there, seems like he's everywhere. It just ain't fair."

"Where?" The doc rushed to her side, but the man had vanished. Ziva had a sneaking suspicion of who it was, but would never admit it: Special Agent Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, her partner at NCIS.

The Israeli stood up, gathered her things, and walked outside as quickly as she could without running, leaving Dr. Michael Rivkin staring after her in bewilderment.

 _Heartless, heartless, never never out of control  
Heartless, heartless, ya keep on sinnin' in the name of rock 'n' roll  
Heartless, heartless, ya think he's gonna bare his empty soul  
He never realized, the way love dies when you crucify its soul_

Ziva exploded out of the office and onto the sidewalk, her eyes scanning the area for her partner. She didn't see him, but even so, she didn't allow herself to relax until she was in her car driving away.

Tony watched Ziva, hidden in the crowd of pedestrians so she wouldn't spot him. Did she really think he was heartless, that he was gonna bare his empty soul? True, he kept sinnin' in the name of rock 'n' roll, yet he senior field agent never realized the way love dies when you crucify its soul.

Ziva was, coincidentally, thinking along the same lines as her partner—not that either of them knew it. If they had, they knew what Leroy Jethro Gibbs would say to that: There's no such thing as a coincidence. The Israeli couldn't remember the number of that rule where if it seemed like someone was out to get you, they were, but she had a feeling Tony was out to get her.

She turned on the radio to help settle her nerves as she drove back to NCIS headquarters.

 _Late night, in the penthouse room the fire's burning  
The shadows are warm, she layin' in his arms, answers his yearning  
D'ya think she understands like he plans, rides a pillar sand_

That night, Tony and Ziva were staking out an abandoned warehouse from a penthouse. It was midnight, and since it was the middle of January, the fire was burning. The firelight sent warm shadows playing over the walls. Ziva had all but fallen asleep in Tony's arms, lulled by the fire's heat and his scent around her.

Tony rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in her heavenly aroma. He yearned to have her, but knew if he forced it, he wouldn't live to see the morning. That didn't stop him from fiddling with her hair, though. Then he found himself tracing his fingers along her jawline, her neck. Finally he gave in, trailing kisses along her smooth neck.

Ziva tensed at first, then relaxed as she realized she was enjoying herself. Before she quite figured out what she was doing, she had turned her head and answered his yearning, kissing him passionately. In the back of her mind, she knew it was a bad idea, but she didn't stop.

Tony smiled against her lips, knowing he had her exactly where he wanted her. He could take her right now, he knew, but decided against it. Besides, they had a job to do and Gibbs would kill them if he found out.

 _Heartless, heartless, never never out of control  
Heartless, heartless, ya keep on sinnin' in the name of rock 'n' roll  
Heartless, heartless, it's so cool to be cold  
He never realized the way love dies when you crucify its soul_

Ziva fought a pang of disappointment when he moved away; then she remembered that they were here for a reason. With a delighted shiver, she recalled the taste of him, the feel of his hands on her bare skin. He'd never lost control, Ziva realized with a surge of anger for him. _Heartless, it's so cool to be cold. You never realized the way love dies when you crucify its soul,_ she mentally snarled.

 _Heartless, heartless, never never out of control, no no  
Heartless, heartless, sinnin' in the name of now rock 'n' roll  
Heartless, come on it's heartless, ya think it's gonna fill your empty soul  
Ya never realized the way love dies when you crucify its soul  
Yeah, didn't you ever realize it  
Crucify me yeah_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Heartless" by Heart
> 
> (How ironic ^^)
> 
> Well? Reviews anyone


	11. Hell Is For Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While listening to Pat Benatar's "Hell Is For Children," Tony's past comes back to haunt him and Ziva tries to comfort him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Tiva, sorta
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> Genre: Hurt/Comfort
> 
> A/N: Before you go biting my head off and saying hell isn't for children, read the lyrics. It's a good song, and it's about a very serious matter. If you've never heard this song, I suggest looking it up on YouTube or iTunes, if iTunes has it.
> 
> Disclaimer: Oh, all the things I could do if I owned NCIS . . .
> 
> A/N: Please review and let me know what you think BEFORE you favorite/subscribe. Thanks.

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk. There was now time to sit back and _relax_. The team's last case had been a day ago, and so far there hadn't been any calls to report a murder victim, a kidnapping attempt, or a terrorist attack in planning. Yep, life was looking pretty good right now, Tony thought, studying Ziva, who was bent over trying to retrieve something she'd dropped. He could practically feel himself salviatating already as his mind scanned through every fantasy involving him and Ziva alone in a dark room.

That is, until McGeek's fingers slipped again on the keyboard and music filled the room. Tony groaned as he recognized the opening chords. _I hate this song._

 _  
_

_They cry in the dark so you can't see their tears  
They hide in the light so you can't see their fears  
Forgive and forget, all the while  
Love and pain become one and the same  
In the eyes of a wounded child_

 _  
_

Suddenly, Tony was no longer in the bullpen.

 _He sat in the dark corner of the basement, his arms around his knees. Tears streaked eight-year-old Tony's cheeks, and every part of him ached._

 _The basement door opened, sending a shaft of light pooling onto the floor. Tony scurried out of range as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A second later, his mom's head poked around the corner. She seemed surprised to find him there. "Tony! What are you doing down here?"_

 _Tony flinched as if he had been hit and clammed up._

 _  
_

_Because hell  
Hell is for children  
And you know that their little lives can become such a mess  
Hell  
Hell is for children  
And you shouldn't have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh_

 _  
_

"TONY!" Ziva yelled in his ear, jarring the senior field agent out of his memories. Acting on reflex, Tony's arm shot up and brought Ziva's head down close to him. He held her like that for a second, then released the former Mossad officer.

Ziva winced, rubbing her neck. "What was that for?"

"Have you not been listening to the song? Besides, I was walking down memory lane when you oh so abruptly brought me back to earth," Tony replied testily.

"Oh." Ziva relaxed, then stiffened as she listened to the song. DiNozzo braced himself for another flashback.

 _  
_

_It's all so confusing, this brutal abusing  
They blacken your eyes and then aplogize  
You're daddy's good girl, and don't tell mommy a thing  
Be a good little boy and you'll get a new toy  
Tell grandma you fell off the swing_

 _  
_

_"Dad, no!" he cried, holding up his arms to shield himself. His father ignored him, lashing out for a final time. Pain exploded along ten-year-old Anthony's eyes, and a hiss escaped him._

 _"Oh, sorry, Junior," his dad apologized, taking in the damage. Tony just stood, shivering. He couldn't understand why his father abused him so brutally. DiNozzo Senior's voice interrupted his train of thought: "Now, be a good little boy and you'll get a new toy. Tell grandma you fell off the swing."_

 _Tony opened his mouth to protest, thought better of it, and shut it. He'd just be beaten again if he didn't do as Dad said._

 _  
_

_Because hell  
Hell is for children  
And you know that thier little lives can become such a mess  
Hell  
Hell is for children  
And you shouldn't have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh_

 _  
_

"She's right about that," Gibbs remarked, but the team's deputy barely heard him.

 _He ran along the side street, not caring where he ended up. A gang of boys his age blocked his path, but Tony didn't see them until he crashed into one of them, a gangly kid with shaggy blond hair. The blond boy turned and looked down at Tony, who was on his rear end, green eyes glaring up defiantly._

 _"What are you doing here?" the kid asked as Tony scrambled to his feet._

 _"What's it to you?" Tony shot back._

 _Blondie shook his head. "Kid, get out of here. Trust me, you don't want to be here when the fuzz show."_

 _"I'm_ not _going back there," Tony insisted, crossing his arms in front of him._

 _By now, the other four boys had come over and were regarding the newcomer with wary and suspicious glances. Then an African-American kid stepped forward. "Your parents beat you, don't they?"_

 _Tony nodded, then recoiled as sirens sounded close to where they were. All hell broke loose as the gang scrambled for cover._

 _  
_

_No, hell is for children_

 _Hell  
Hell is for hell  
Hell is for hell  
Hell is for children_

 _Hell  
Hell is for hell  
Hell is for hell  
Hell is for children_

A light touch on his shoulder brought Tony out of his memories with a jolt. He glanced up to see Ziva looking at him, her face etched with worry. "Are you okay, Tony?" she wanted to know.

"What?" He blinked in confusion, then as it cleared, he replied, "No. I"ll tell you later."

Her brown eyes softened. "It's the song, isn't it?"

"Something like that."

  
_Hell  
Hell is for hell  
Hell is for hell  
Hell is for children_

 _Hell is for children  
Hell is for children_

When the song was over, Ziva went on the other side of his desk so she was facing Tony. She leaned over his desk so she was looking at him eye-to-eye. "Tony, what's wrong?"

The senior field agent found it hard to meet her eyes. "When I was a little kid, my father used to beat me. This song brings the memories back."

Ziva's lips lifted in a sad smile. "I can relate to that. Remember who my father is and what Saleem did to me?"

"Vividly."

"Hey, you two!" Gibbs's voice preceeded the infamous Gibbs-slap. "I said to grab your gear two times now! We have a kidnapped daughter of a Naval commander to find."'

The two field agents exchanged looks that were half-amused, half-exasperated before following. Gibbs had commanded and they must obey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think?
> 
> Song: "Hell Is For Children" by Pat Benatar


	12. I Didn't Want to Need You

_Baby I never gave my heart to anyone oh no  
I used to think that love was a game  
I used to make it just for fun, oh yeah  
When we spent the night together  
Didn't mean it meant that much  
Now I just can't live without your touch_

"Ziva!" A hand waved in front of her face, jolting the NCIS agent out of her thoughts. When her eyes were focusing again, she found herself looking at her partner. Last night pushed its way to the front of her mind, and she found herself having to hide a shiver. Before that night, she'd never given her heart to anyone; used to think that love was a game She'd make it just for fun, but last night changed that. Ziva didn't think their spending the night together meant that much.

Tony's green-gray gaze searched hers. "Do you have anything else on our suspects?"

"Not yet," she replied, suppressing a sudden crazy urge to reach out and touch him. With a thrill of horror, she realized she couldn't live without his touch.

Suddenly her computer beeped and an email popped up on her screen from Abby. "I do now," the former Mossad officer said. Skimming over the message, she reported, "The neurotoxin Abby found on our victim? It comes from a Western diamondback. Don't they handle venomous snakes?"

"Yep," DiNozzo confirmed. "Let's roll." He snatched up his gun and badge, Ziva following as he made for the elevator.

 _I didn't wanna need you, no no  
I didn't wanna want you like I do  
I didn't mean to fall  
I didn't wanna care at all  
I didn't wanna need you, no no  
Like I need you now_

Hours later, the case was wrapped up and the two agents who had the collar were chowing down on pizza. Gibbs, their boss, looked at them with something akin to disgust. "How do you eat that stuff?"

"Easy," Tony said after he swallowed a bite. "You pick it up, put it in your mouth, and eat."

He was rewarded for his efforts by the infamous head-slap. "Shut up, DiNozzo."

Ziva, who was sitting on the edge of her partner's desk, had to stifle a laugh. She realized that she'd fallen for him, that she cared for him more than she should. _No! I didn't want this!_

 _You're sure about that?_ A voice asked snidely. Ziva could've sworn it sounded like Abby.

 _Beat it,_ she snarled.

It did, leaving Ziva all alone in her head.

The probationary agent didn't want to need Tony, didn't mean to care at all; she didn't want to want him like she did, yet she needed him now.

"Go home, you two," Gibbs suddenly ordered.

DiNozzo drained the last of his soda, crumpled it up, tossed it in the trash can, and stood up. "You coming, Zi?"

Ziva shrugged. "Might as well." Even as she said it, she wasn't sure she'd be able to control her urges.

 _Oh I can't get no sleep  
Cause I keep thinking of you all through the night, oh yeah  
My eyes can't wait to see you again  
My arms can't wait to hold you tight, oh yeah  
And when you're lying here beside me  
There is nothing else I need  
Never thought that this could ever be_

The probationary agent tossed and turned in her bed before she gave up trying to sleep. Ziva just lay there, thinking of Tony. Giving in, she reached for her cell and called him. Her eyes couldn't wait to see him again, and she couldn't wait to hold him tight.

Tony's cell on the other end of the line rang, and when Ziva heard him pick up, she didn't wait for him to answer it. "Tony, it's Ziva. Where are you?"

Surprisingly, he sounded wide awake as he replied, "Turning onto my street. Why?"

She silently berated herself for not coming up with a plausible explanation. What was she going to say? Finally she decided on the truth, ridiculous as it sounded. "I want to see you."

"You see me every day at work."

"That's not what I meant."

There was a pause. Then Tony replied, "I'll be there soon. You're at your house, right?"

"Yes."

"See you."

At least ten minutes later, DiNozzo had let himself in. By now it was well pastmidnightand the female NCIS agent was about ready to collapse with fatigue. She took a step forward—and crumpled against her partner, eyes halfway closed. Ziva felt his arms come around her and heard his voice close to her ear. "Ziva, come on. Let's get you in bed. You need to sleep."

She slowly raised her head and said drowsily, "Only if you come with me."

He stiffened against her, taking in her implication, then relaxed. "Zi, you're half asleep. You don't know what you're saying."

"Yes, I do," she murmured. Her head dropped back onto his shoulder.

DiNozzo sighed and decided to put her to bed—but he was leaving right afterwards. But later, as he watched his partner—who looked so innocent—he couldn't help it.

Ziva smiled as she feigned sleep and felt Tony slide in next to her. Now there was nothing else she needed, with him lying there beside her. _I never thought that this would ever be._

 _I didn't wanna need you, oh no  
I didn't wanna want you like I do  
I didn't mean to fall  
I didn't wanna care at all  
I didn't wanna need you, no no  
Like I need you now_

She hadn't meant for this to happen. Ziva didn't want to want him like she did; she didn't mean to need him like she needed him now.

 _I've always been free  
To leave when I wanted to leave  
But it's not about me anymore_

Before NCIS, Ziva had always been free to leave when she wanted to. Since she'd developed feelings for Tony, she realized it wasn't up to just her anymore. Now she was part of a team.

 _I didn't wanna need you, no no no  
I didn't wanna want you like I do  
I didn't mean to fall  
I didn't wanna care at all  
I didn't wanna need you, no no no  
I didn't wanna want you like I do  
I didn't mean to fall  
I didn't wanna care at all  
I didn't wanna need you, no no  
But I need you now_

 _I need you now  
I need you now  
I need you baby, ooo  
I didn't wanna need you, no no  
I didn't wanna need you, no no  
I didn't wanna need you, no no  
I didn't wanna need you, no no  
I didn't wanna need you_

 

 **Song: "I Didn't Want to Need You" by Heart**


	13. I Love You

_When the night has come  
And I'm all alone  
And I have some time to breathe  
So much damage done  
I guess nobody won  
Is it too late to make you see_

NCIS Director Jenny Shepard turned the key in the lock and let herself in to her large house. The dark interior of the house was lit by pools of moonlight, but those faded when the redhead made her way to the study and flicked on the lights.

She poured herself a glass of bourbon, sat down in the chair behind the desk, and took a swig. Away from the high pressure of her job, the late hour and the fact that she was alone meant Jenny had some time to breathe. So much damage had been done lately, what with the Le Grenuiolle mess. Still, nobody had really won—she would get him at another deal. She wondered if it was too late to make Jethro see . . .

 _I love you  
Oh darlin' yes I really do  
I love you  
Oh darlin' yes I really do_

Parishad never really left her or Jethro, Jen thought. She realized with a shock that she still loved him, even though she'd thought she'd moved on.

Sighing, Director Shepard drained her glass and ambled off to her bed where she slept for the next five hours.

 _I know very well  
How it got this way  
I was drifting on my cloud  
There isn't much to tell  
Except you've gone away  
Darlin' now I'm reaching out_

The next morning, she was back in the director's chair, still mulling over Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Jenny knew very well how they had become so distant. When they'd returned from their undercover op in '99, she'd been drifting on her cloud and working hard as a field agent. Eventually she'd earned the title of Director of NCIS. Except that Gibbs had gone away, there wasn't much to tell.

Seized by a sudden impulse, she pressed the button that connected her to Cynthia and said, "Bring Special Agent Gibbs up, Cynthia."

"Yes, ma'm," her secretary's voice replied over the intercom.

A few minutes later, Gibbs walked in., his ice-blue eyes flaming. "Yes, Director?"

"How's your case going, Jethro?" she asked.

"As well as can be expected." Then he abruptly changed the subject. "How are you, Jen?"

 _I love you  
Let me show you how I really do  
I love you  
Oh darlin' you gotta know it's true_

"Fine," she lied. _Just let me show you how I really love you._

As she zoned out, Gibbs couldn't help smiling. "What are you thinking about?" Director Shepard snapped when she noticed.

"Paris," she replied.

She surprised him by saying, "Me too."

 _I wish that I had you now  
The way that I had you then  
Darlin' I'd take you and hold you and kiss you  
Over and over again_

They drifted into silence again, Jethro remembering the bedroom in Paris and Jenny wishing she had him now the way she'd had him then. She'd take him and hold him and kiss him over and over again. The NCIS director was sure her former partner and lover was thinking along similar lines—and he was.

 _Maybe we can try  
To get back to that place  
When passion made us wild  
No more alibis  
Standing face to face  
You will see it in my eyes_

"Maybe we can try to—," Jenny began, then stopped. "Forget it."

Gibbs snapped out of his memories. "What were you going to say?"

"It's nothing," the redhead insisted, feeling her ears start to turn as red as her hair. No way was she going to say what she had been thinking: that they could try to get back to that place when passion made them a little insane.

The director stood suddenly. "I'll walk you out," she offered.

Standing this close to him, eye-to-eye, she felt certain he saw what she felt for him in her eyes. To hide it, she walked around him and opened the door for him.

Before Gibbs left, he turned back and said so quietly she wasn't sure she heard him properly, "No more alibis, Jen." He was gone before she could respond.

 _I love you  
Oh my darlin' you know it's true  
I love you  
Let me tell you how much I really do  
Oh darlin' you know I really do  
Oh darlin' yes I really do_

 

 **Song: "I Love You" by Heart**


	14. If Looks Could Kill

_Caught you in the act—can't put up with that  
Messing where you shouldn't be  
I wanna hear you say you're sorry  
Cause nobody takes advantage of me_

Jeanne glanced at Tony's picture in her hand and angrily crumpled it up into a ball. Leaning back in a chair near her computer in her bedroom, she aimed at a nearby trash can and let fly. Score! Nothing but can.

 _How dare he do that to me!_ she thought furiously. First he admitted that his real name wasn't Tony DiNardo; it was Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, and that he'd been romantically involved with her due to orders from his boss. Second, she found out that he'd been spending most of his time when he wasn't with her with another woman!

 _You're missing the mark—shooting in the dark  
I'm pulling the wool from my eyes  
Baby, don't push me further  
It's gonna hurt you if it happens twice_

"He never should have cheated on me," she growled. "If this happens again, someone's going to get hurt—and it won't be me."

Her mind made up, she leaped out of the chair and headed out the bedroom door to her car outside the apartment. She knew where he liked to hang out: a local bar. He'd taken her there a few times before. _Don't push me any further, Tony._

 _If looks could kill  
You'd be lying on the floor  
You'd be begging me please please  
Baby don't hurt me no more  
If looks could kill  
You'd be reeling from the pain  
And you'd never lie again  
If looks could kill_

When she walked inside, she saw him with _her_ (Ziva, but Jeanne doesn't know that) and a bunch of his friends: a Goth girl, a middle-aged guy with light-brown hair who looked vaguely familiar, a silver-haired older agent, and an Englishman with glasses who looked to be in his early sixties (aka the team). The look she gave Tony was so hateful she was surprised he couldn't feel it. A satisfied yet evil smile came over her face as she pictured him down on the floor, begging for her not to murder him and leave no forensic evidence (oh, wait, would that be Abby or Ziva?).

 _You're living on the edge—hanging by a thread  
I'm watching every move you make  
You don't want to see my anger  
So don't you make another mistake_

She watched Tony and the beautiful olive-skinned brunette he was with carefully as she sat down at a table near the NCIS team. From where she was seated, she could hear snippets of their conversation. The Israeli was laughing at some joke Tony was telling, then her eyes widened as she saw the daughter of the French arms dealer "The Frog" scrutinizing them. DiNozzo, noticing her eyes dilate, turned slightly and from what Jeanne could tell, caught side of her.

Before she could change her mind, Jeanne rose and stalked over to them.

"Tony," she hissed, "you do not want to see me angry. Don't screw this up."

Before Tony could reply, his date's fudge-colored eyes went almost black and she lunged at Jeanne.

Startled, she took a step back just as Tony's arms went around the Israeli's frame, blocking her attack. "Take it easy, Ziva," he murmured in her ear.

"Tony, can't I kill her just a little bit?" Ziva asked hopefully.

"No, Agent David, you can't," the silver-haired man—their boss, Jeanne assumed—ordered. He fixed Tony with an icy glare.

"Hey, come on, Gibbs. It's not my fault Ziva went all ninja-Mossad-assassin on Jeanne, here!"

There was a satisfying smack as Gibbs' hand connected with the back of Tony's head.

 _Love is on the line—I ain't about to be kind  
That's a promise and a threat  
If I was you I'd really cool it  
Or risk a night you'll never forget_

Smirking, Jeanne turned on her heel and walked away, motioning with a finger for Tony to follow her. She heard him sigh, but he reluctantly rose and followed her to a dark corner near the restrooms. Wheeling around to face him, she warned, "Tony, there's no more Ms. Nice Doctor here."

At his amused look of disbelief, she added, "Love is on the line—I'm not about to be kind. That's a promise and a threat. You'd better cool it."

"Or what?"

"Risk a night you'll never forget."

 _If looks could kill  
You'd be lying on the floor  
You'd be begging me please please  
Darlin' don't hurt me no more  
If looks could kill  
You'd be reeling from the pain  
And you'd never lie again  
If looks could kill_

The highly satisfying image of him reeling from pain due to her killer stare flashed into her mind again. From the flare of alarm in Tony's emerald eyes, she knew he guessed what he was thinking. She didn't care.

 _I was a fool to believe in you  
A sucker for every line  
I'm a little less blind  
Than I was before  
I can see right through your design_

Jeanne's next words caught him by surprise: "I was a fool to believe in you, Tony. Right now, though, I can see right through you."

"Let's hope not," he joked.

 _If looks could kill  
You'd be lying on the floor  
You'd be begging me please please  
Baby don't hurt me no more  
If looks could kill  
You'd be reeling from the pain  
And you'd never lie again  
If looks could kill_

 _You'd be lying on the floor  
You'd be begging me please please  
Baby don't hurt me no more  
If looks could kill  
You'd be reeling from the pain  
And you'd never lie again  
If looks could kill  
If looks could kill_

He turned to go back to Ziva, but Jeanne put a vice-like hand on his arm. Relishing the confusion and fear in his eyes, she warned, "If looks could kill. . . ."

 

 **Song: "If Looks Could Kill" by Heart**


	15. I Want Your World to Turn

Gibbs's team was having some extremely rare down time, and Ziva, bored out of her mind, was studying Tony.

She knew he was seeing someone, but what was even more mysterious was that the senior field agent was being very tight-lipped about his new girlfriend. All Ziva knew was her name—Jeanne—from overhearing some of Tony's calls. It wasn't as if the Mossad liaison officer could change the fact she had sensitive hearing.

What made the situation worse was that Ziva had suddenly noticed her feelings for her partner.

 _Call it bad timing  
But I call it destiny  
It wouldn't have happened  
If it wasn't meant to be_

Some people, including McGee and Gibbs, would call it bad timing on her part. (Well, the team's leader would scold her for breaking Rule Number Twelve.) Abby would be happy for her, and Palmer would probably keel over in shock.

Ziva felt that if it wasn't meant to be, her feelings for him wouldn't have intensified.

 _I felt your heart like a magnet  
Your eyes were touching me  
Touching me, touching me  
Touching me, touching me  
Touching me, touching me_

His green eyes suddenly shifted from his computer to Ziva. The Israeli felt something stirring inside, as if there was a magnetic pull bringing her close to him. She casually brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear from where it had fallen in front of her eyes. Her body tensed as she felt Tony's eyes studying her, touching her from seven feet away.

 _I want your world to turn  
Just for me  
I want your fire to burn just for me  
Like the moon affects the tide and the sea yeah  
I want your world to turn just for me_

They held eye contact for a moment longer. The silence was shattered by Tony's cell phone ringing. When he checked the caller ID and said, "Excuse me," Ziva knew who it was. Jeanne.

Jealousy flared as her partner moved away to where he could take his call without being overheard.

Why couldn't he look at her with the same fire in his eyes that she assumed he did for Jeanne? Ziva wanted his world to turn just for her, no matter what anyone else—even his current girlfriend—thought.

 _I won't share your love  
No I want it all for my own  
When you are in her arms  
It really cuts me down to the bone_

Later that night, Tony drove to Jeanne's apartment. He didn't notice the car tailing him, or who was behind the wheel.

Ziva followed her partner, staying well out of sight. She watched as a pretty green-eyed brunette let him in. White-hot envy and pain cut her to the bone as Jeanne took her partner in her arms. If it was her, the Israeli thought wistfully, she wouldn't share his love. No, she wanted it all for her own. Besides, Tony had been hers long before Jeanne had even met him!

 _I felt your heart like a magnet  
Your eyes were touching me  
Touching me, touching me  
Touching me, touching me  
Touching me, touching me_

The next day, the team was called to their latest scene-a cabin in Shenandoah National Park where a young Marine was found murdered.

As she slid out from behind the wheel of the MCRT van and slammed the door shut, Ziva could have sworn she felt Tony's eyes touching her. When she dared look over, he was.

 _I want your world to turn  
Just for me yeah  
I want your fire to burn just for me  
Like the moon affects the tide and the sea  
I want your world to turn just for me_

"Are you guys coming?" McGee asked irritably. Ziva started and turned away from DiNozzo, noticing the bewilderment flashing in his eyes.

"Yeah, just a moment, McGee!" she called to the junior field agent.

Timothy McGee looked from the senior field agent to the Mossad liaison and gave a knowing smile that made Ziva want to Gibbs-slap him—hard. Then Probie walked over join said team leader.

Tony joined Ziva, looking at her expectantly. "Well? What is it?"

All she could do was lie. No way would he find out that, like the moon affected the tide and the sea, she wanted his world to turn just for her. Ziva wanted him to look at her the way he did Jeanne, with fire in his eyes. She went on the defensive. "Why do you want to know? You're the one who was undressing me with your eyes, remember?"

He opened his mouth for a stinging retort, but Gibbs's shout stopped him: "DiNozzo! David! Cut the chitchat and get to work!"

"Yes, Boss!" they replied in unison. Ziva felt a wave of relief crash over her as Tony moved away to take witness statements. The conversation was over for now, but she knew he would start it up again when he had the chance. She hoped it wouldn't happen anytime soon.

 _I felt your heart like a magnet  
Your eyes were touching me  
Touching me, touching me  
Touching me, touching me  
Touching me, touching me_

 _I want your world to turn  
Just for me, yeah  
I want your fire to burn just for me, yeah  
Like the moon affects the tide and the sea yeah  
I want your world to turn just for me_

 _Just for me yeah  
Just for me  
Just for me_

 

 **Song: "I Want Your World to Turn" by Heart**


	16. Nothin' at All

_I would walk home every evening  
Through the pyramids of light  
I would feed myself on silence  
Wash it down with empty nights_

Ziva David strolled through the darkened streets of D.C. to her apartment. For a heartbeat she wished she was back at HQ but shook the thought from her mind. Letting herself in, she sighed as she resigned herself to yet another lonely night. When she woke up, however. . . .

 _Then your innocent distractions  
Hit me so hard  
My emotional reaction  
Caught me off guard_

The next morning, she headed into the bullpen at the NCIS headquarters in the Navy Yard after her daily morning run. Seated at her desk, she was distracted by Tony making ridiculous faces at his computer screen. She heard something click—like a digital camera—and realized he was on that website where you sent in pictures of yourself to top other pics. What was the name of the site again?

When DiNozzo closed out of the site and looked at her curiously, she realized she had been staring at him. Ziva felt some emotion rocket through her, catching her off guard.

 _It was nothing at all (nothing at all)  
Like anything I had felt before  
No, nothing at all (nothing at all)  
Like I thought, no it's so much more  
No one else has ever  
Made me feel this way  
When I asked you how you did it  
You just say  
It was nothing at all_

"Ziva, are you okay?" Tony asked with concern in his voice. Sitting near Tony, McGee couldn't help but smirk as he listened to the conversation and waited for the female agent's reply. Gibbs, seated at his desk drinking coffee, looked up from the computer and watched the confrontation between his two agents, wondering if he should head-slap them. Tony and Ziva, especially, for possibly being about to break Rule #12.

"Yes, I'm fine," she lied.

"You're sure?" McGee couldn't help butting in.

Tony looked at him sharply. "I don't recall anyone asking your opinion, Probie." Turning back to Ziva, he asked, "Well? You are okay, right?"

Instead of answering, Ziva stood up and walked away in the direction of the stairs, signaling for DiNozzo to follow her. When they were hidden from the others by the stairs and wall, she turned to face him. Taking a breath, she said, "Tony, I am not feeling all right."

"Well, what's wrong, then?" the senior field agent demanded.

Her question caught him by surprise. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"It's just . . . when I look at you. I feel . . . I don't know. . . . How do you make me feel this way?"

He grinned. "It's nothing at all. Say, can I come over to your house for dinner tonight?"

"Uh, sure," Ziva stammered. Tony smiled and reached out a hand to ruffle her hair. Her reflexes kicked in and she twisted his hand around pressing it to his back, and slammed him against the wall. As they were caught in that position, Abby came skipping around the corner with her regular Caf-Pow in hand.

"Hey, guys. Have you seen Gibbs—" Her voice trailed off as what she was seeing registered to her brain. A huge grin came to her face and she continued, calling, "GIBBS!"

Horrified, Tony and Ziva disentangled themselves and raced after her. In unison, they cried, "ABBY, WAIT!" then stopped in their tracks as they saw everyone staring at them curiously—Gibbs and McGee in particular. Tony swallowed and managed to spit out, "Boss, whatever Abby told you, it wasn't what it looked like. You see—" His voice trailed off as Gibbs said, "Abby hasn't told me anything, DiNozzo."

Hot with embarrassment, the two NCIS agents retreated to their desks. Everything else became a blur to the two of them; Ziva couldn't wait until that evening.

 _(Nothing at all)  
At all_

 _Now I walk home every evening  
And my feet are quick to move  
'Cause I know my destination  
Is a warm and waiting you_

A few hours later, Ziva hurried home, knowing what—or rather, _who_ —would be waiting for her. When she parked her car and hurried inside, she found DiNozzo already there, sprawled on the couch.

 _From our first communication  
It was clear  
Any thought of moderation  
Would soon disappear_

Memories of how they first met floated through her mind as she looked at DiNozzo sitting in front of her. She had entered the building to find him staring into space with a dreamy look on his face before he quickly picked up the phone. Her first question probably hadn't been the best opener, but she would never forget his quick response. Mentally clearing her head, she was once again hit by that peculiar feeling that she'd had earlier—okay, she'd been having feelings for him for a long time, but she hadn't been totally sure of them. Still, it was nothing that she'd ever felt before. . . .

 _It was nothing at all (nothing at all)  
Like anything I had felt before  
No, nothing at all (nothing at all)  
Like I thought, no it's so much more  
No one else has ever  
Made me feel this way  
When I ask you how you did it  
You just say  
Oh, it was nothing at all_

 _Then your innocent distractions  
Hit me so hard  
My emotional reaction  
Caught me off guard_

 _It was nothing at all (nothing at all)  
Like anything I had felt before  
No nothing at all (nothing at all)  
Like I thought, no it's so much more  
No one else has ever  
Made me feel this way  
When I ask you how you did it  
You just say  
Oh it was nothing at all_

 _(Nothing at all)  
Like anything I felt before  
Oh nothing at all (nothing at all)  
No nothing at all (nothing at all)_

 

 **Song: "Nothin' at All" by Heart**

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	17. The Night Will Only Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some rules were meant to be broken. Rule Number Twelve was one of them. . . When TOny and Ziva break Rule Twelve and witness a murder, what will happen to them?

_That night will live forever  
Their first time to lie together  
They were finally where desire dared them to go  
Both belonging to another  
But longing to be lovers  
Promising each other that the night will only know_

Tony drove to Ziva's apartment. It was risky to see her, but he had to. He wanted to explain how he felt about her. He was sure she felt the same way. Tony didn't care that she was seeing someone else, like he was; he couldn't stay away from her. That time they went undercover—literally and figuratively—as that assassin couple was only the beginning. Then she had asked him if he had ever heard of soul mates. He had said something like, _Oh, yeah. Aren't they a rock band?_ Ziva had said, _You'll never understand_ all disappointed. Lost in thought, he stopped as he realized he had already knocked on the door and Ziva was looking at him expectantly.

"What do you want, Tony?"

"I want to talk to you."

She stepped back, inviting him in. Tony shook his head. "Not here. _He's_ been here."

"Well, where do you want to talk, then?" Ziva asked, tilting her head and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Come with me," he invited, "and I'll tell you."

She relented. "All right."

Was that a triumphant smile on his face? Ziva wondered as Tony broke into a large grin. She didn't have long to think about it, as Tony had turned and headed out to his car. Ziva followed him and was hit by a blast of freezing night air. She quickly climbed in the passenger's seat while Tony started the engine. Soon, they were tearing down the streets of D.C.

When Tony had been driving for a good half hour, he slowed and turned onto an old backstreet. Three-quarters of the way in, he stopped and parked the car. The seat belt slid upward as he unhooked it and crept into the backseat. Feeling a little creeped out, Ziva followed him, even though a voice in her head was telling her not to.

"Tony, what are we doing here?" Ziva was starting to get a little nervous. He had never done anything like this with her before.

 _Parked on some old backstreet  
They laid down in the backseat  
And fell into the fire down below  
But they would pay for their deceiving  
For a deadly web was weaving  
Why they picked that spot that evening  
Lord, the night will only know_

"Ziva, do you feel the same way about me that I do about you?"

Ziva swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you feel it? This pull between us?"

 _Pull? Does he mean this feeling I have whenever I'm around him?_ Then a dream she had had about a week ago came back to her. In the dream, she had been standing in her room with Rivkin, her former Mossad partner. She had been wrapped in his embrace, then she felt him change. When she looked at him, she had been in Tony's arms. Tony lowered his mouth to hers. Ziva had found herself pressing against him, returning his kiss, yearning for his touch. . . . When she woke up, she found herself longing for another one of his kisses, his touches, even though it had only been a dream.

Ziva shifted uncomfortably with the memory of the dream. Obviously, her subconscious had thought about kissing him. It had only gotten stronger since that time they had gone undercover as the assassin couple a few months back, and when she had had that talk with that African-American woman about soul mates. She had said that when you meet your soul mate, you just know. When Ziva asked Tony about that, he had said something like, _Aren't they a rock band?_ Ziva had been disappointed.

She jolted back to the present. The beautiful Israeli opened her mouth to reply, when Tony said, "Ziva, what I'm trying to say is, I love you."

Ziva sat there, stunned. "But what about your girlfriend?"

"Ziva, I don't feel with her what I feel with you. I don't feel a need to lie with my body curled around hers. I don't think about kissing her. I want you."

"And I'm sure you say that to every girlfriend you have."

"Actually, I don't," he said softly.

Ziva turned her head to look at him. When she did, she found his mouth covering hers. Before she knew what was happening, her arms had wrapped around his neck and she was kissing him back. The windows were quickly fogged up with steam as they sank onto the backseat.

 _Well within the innuendos  
Just outside the steamy windows  
The night was shattered by a woman's scream  
Motionless and frightened  
The grip of fate had tightened  
And with trembling hands they wiped away the steam_

Ziva and her co-worker were deep in a passionate embrace when the stillness of the night was broken by a terrified woman's scream. The two NCIS agents froze and wiped away the steam, hands trembling. It was a good thing they had left the engine off; it would have given away their position right now. All they could do was watch the scene unfolding before them.

 _They saw a woman pleading  
Stumbling, begging and retreating  
'Til she became the victim of her foe  
And they watched her fall in silence  
To save their own alliance  
But the reason for the violence  
Just the night will only know_

Just outside the window, a few yards away, they saw a young woman erupt from the shadows. She looked back at her pursuer and stumbled over a crack in the alleyway. The NCIS agents saw the gleam of metal as silver moonlight struck it. "No, please!" the woman begged. "I'll do anything!" she pleaded. Tony and Ziva glanced at each other and reached for their weapons before they realized they hadn't brought them. They couldn't do anything to save her. As the would-be killer stepped out of the shadows, they got a clear look at his face. Ziva shut her eyes as the knife struck its target, glistening wet with blood.

When he left, Tony and Ziva exchanged glances, then, tires screeching, tore out of there. Tony dropped Ziva off at her apartment before driving home. Their parting words rang in his head.

"Let's not tell Gibbs about this," he had said. Ziva had nodded, though reluctantly.

"He'll find out anyway. You know that. If he found out we broke Rule # 12 . . ."

"Hey, it'll be okay,"Tony had reassured her, drawing her close to him. "I'll see you tomorrow,"he murmured, pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

Tony saw that he had already passed his apartment. He made a U-turn and pulled into the driveway, dreading the next morning.

 _And every paper ran the story  
She was stripped of all her glory  
And they told exactly how the woman died  
Abandoned and forsaken  
Too many pills were taken  
And they ruled the woman's death a suicide_

DiNozzo and Ziva were at their desks the next morning, trying to avoid each other's gaze. It was as though they though Gibbs or the rest of the team would find out what had happened between them last night. They were startled by Gibbs shouting, "GEAR UP! Dead Lieutenant downtown."

They exchanged nervous glances, but followed their boss to the elevator. When Gibbs announced he was driving, they groaned. On the way to the scene, Tony asked, "Didn't the paper say she died of suicide, Boss?"

"Yeah. They said she OD'd on prescription pills. I don't believe it, though. That's why we're checking it out."

In what seemed like a few minutes, they were there. After they were out of the van, Ziva pulled Tony aside and whispered, "Tony, we could have stopped this. It's our fault she died."

"No, it's not, Zi. We were unarmed, not to mention off duty."

"I still think we should have done something."

"Ziva, there was nothing we could do," he muttered, pulling her close to him.

"I still hate it," she grumbled against his shoulder.

They were startled by Gibbs yelling, "DiNozzo, David, quit making out and get over here!"

Red-faced, they obeyed the order. Inside they were thinking, _If he ever found out about us . . ._

 _Bound by their behavior  
They could have been her savior  
Now guilt becomes the endless debt they owe  
But another crime was committed  
And it's never been admitted  
Have the guilty been acquitted  
Lord, the night will only know_

 

 **Song: "The Night Will Only Know" by Garth Brooks**


	18. The Thunder Rolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has been seeing Ziva behind Jeanne's back. When she find out, she'll be out of control

_Three-thirty in the morning  
Not a soul in sight  
The city's lookin' like a ghost town  
On a moonless summer night  
Raindrops on the windshield  
There's a storm moving in  
He's heading back from somewhere  
That he never should have been  
And the thunder rolls  
And the thunder rolls_

Raindrops fell on the windshield of the Mustang as Tony DiNozzo drove through the darkened streets of Washington,D.C. It was three-thirty in the morning, everyone—including the homeless people and hookers—was asleep. The District of Columbia resembled a ghost town on a moonless summer's night.

As he stopped at a red light, he relived the blissful hours he'd spent with Ziva, even though he never should have been at her place. If Jeanne or Gibbs found out . . .

In the distance, the thunder rolled as the storm moved in, closer and closer.

 _Every light is burnin'  
In a house across town  
She's pacin' by the telephone  
In her faded flannel gown  
Askin' for a miracle  
Hopin' she's not right  
Prayin' it's the weather  
That's kept him out all night  
And the thunder rolls  
And the thunder rolls_

In a house across town, every light was on as Jeanne paced by the phone. Her nightgown fanned out behind her as she turned again and started walking in the other direction. _Please let me be wrong, Lord. Let it be the weather that's kept him out all night,_ she thought, _and not that Israeli._

Outside the window, thunder rolled loud and clear to be followed by a bright white flash.

 _The thunder rolls  
And the lightnin' strikes  
Another love grows cold  
On a sleepless night  
As the storm goes on  
Out of control  
Deep in her heart  
The thunder rolls_

 _She's waitin' by the window  
When he pulls into the drive  
She rushes out to hold him  
Thankful he's alive  
But on the wind and rain  
A strange new perfume blows  
And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes  
And he knows that she knows  
And the thunder rolls  
And the thunder rolls_

Jeanne, looking out the window, saw the headlights of Tony's car before she heard the crunch of gravel as he pulled up to the curb and climbed out of the Mustang. Immediately, she flew out of the house and gripped him in an embrace that rivaled one of Abby's. Looking into his eyes, she whispered, "I'm glad you're alive. I was starting to worry."

She started to bury her head in his shoulder again, but paused when she caught a whiff of perfume on the rain and wind. The doctor drew back and looked at the man she knew as Tony DiNardo, pain in her eyes.

DiNozzo saw her pull back, pain and anger flashing in her eyes. _Oh, no. She knows I've been with Ziva. But how?_

Too late, he realized he could smell Ziva's scent lingering on his clothes—which were quickly being soaked. The undercover NCIS agent pushed past Jeanne and into her house, his enraged girlfriend right on his trail.

 _The thunder rolls  
And the lightnin' strikes  
Another love grows cold  
On a sleepless night  
As the storm goes on  
Out of control  
Deep in her heart  
The thunder rolls_

Jeanne slammed the door behind her, her emotions churning through her much like the storm going on outside. Turning on Tony, she hissed, "I can't believe you'd do this to me!"

"Jeanne, Ziva and I are just—" He broke off, eyes wide as he realized he almost blew his cover.

Jeanne's green eyes blazed. "So that's her name, is it? And I'm sure you're _just_ partners!"

A blinding white flash of lightning lit up the dark interior of the room as DiNozzo fumbled for a reply.

 _She runs back down the hallway  
And through the bedroom door  
She reaches for the pistol  
Kept in the dresser drawer  
Tells the lady in the mirror  
That he won't do this again  
'Cause tonight will be the last time  
She'll wonder where he's been  
And the thunder rolls  
And the thunder rolls_

Leaving Tony gaping like a goldfish, the furious doctor raced back down the hallway and burst into her bedroom. She strode quickly over to the dresser, opened one of the drawers, and pulled out a pistol, which she loaded. Satisfied it was locked and loaded, she glanced up at her reflection in the mirror.

"He won't do this again," she told it. "In fact, tonight will be the last time I'll wonder where he's been."

With that, she slipped outside and headed back to where Tony "DiNardo" was waiting.

~*~*~*~

DiNozzo heard the soft tread of footsteps behind him and whirled to see Jeanne looking at him from behind the barrel of a gun—aimed right at his chest.

She fired—and Tony dropped to the ground, the bullet flying harmlessly past. He knew what he had to do, even if it meant blowing his cover.

"Drop your weapon!"

"Not likely," Jeanne growled, shifting her position so her next shot wouldn't miss.

 _Never go anywhere without a knife._ The words to Rule #9 rang in the NCIS agent's head; he flashed back to knife-throwing lessons he'd taken from Ziva. He silently berated himself for not stowing away a knife; it really would have come in handy now. That left only one choice.

"Don't shoot!"

"Like that's going to work."

"No, seriously, federal agent! Don't shoot!"

The gun in Jeanne's hand went slack and clattered to the floor, where DiNozzo swiftly retrieved it. When the green-eyed brunette found her voice, she said, "Who do you work for? FBI? CIA?"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and my name isn't Tony DiNardo. It's Anthony DiNozzo."

Her eyes, which had been starting to calm down, flared up with anger again. "So you never loved me! You used me!"

DiNozzo fidgeted uneasily, but he didn't say anything, confirming her suspicions. Well, I did, but Ziva . . . well, she's Ziva . . .

His attention was jerked back to the present by a sharp pain in his arm. He looked down to see blood trickling out of a gash in his left arm and saw Jeanne holding a knife stained red.

"All right, that's it," he said through gritted teeth to no one in particular. He reached into his coat pocket and was surprised to find a set of handcuffs. Huh. Ziva must have put them in there. Shrugging off the thought, Tony pulled out the handcuffs and cuffed the doctor. "Now you're under arrest for attempted murder and assaulting a federal agent."

If looks could kill, he'd be dead in one second flat.

 _The thunder rolls  
And the lightnin' strikes  
Another love grows cold, darlin'  
On a sleepless night  
As the storm goes on  
Out of control  
Deep in her heart  
The thunder rolls_

 

 **Song: "The Thinder Rolls (long version)" by Garth Brooks**


	19. The Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony reminds Ziva of a wolf on the prowl . . .

_You were born to privilege  
Licking on a silver spoon  
You think you gotta buy all your friends  
Just so you can tear up the room_

Ziva David was roused from her thoughts by Tony DiNozzo's voice right next to her ear. Startled, her fist went up and hit Tony on the nose.

"Ow! Geez, Ziva! I think you broke my nose!" the Italian playboy cried, holding his nose with his free hand.

Concerned, Ziva pried his hand off and checked the body part in question carefully. After a close and careful examination, she released her verdict: "It's perfectly fine."

He relaxed immediately. "Good, because I wanted to ask you if you'd go out for dinner."

"With you?"

"Well, me and the team. I'm buying."

"Sure. I didn't have anything else planned," Ziva said with a smile as she twisted around to look at the (very) special agent. Inwardly, she was thinking, _You just had to tear down the room. I got that right, right?_

 _But your kind is a dime a dozen  
I've seen it all before  
A parasite in a good disguise  
Just another wolf at the door_

A half hour later, the NCIS team was hanging out at their favorite bar. As Ziva swirled the straw in her drink, she couldn't help noticing that DiNozzo was flirting with all the good-looking women, yet his heart didn't seem to be in it. His eyes kept darting back to her.

 _You've seen his kind before,_ she told herself. _They're just wolves at the door._

 _The wolf  
Prowling in the nighttime  
The wolf  
Howling in the moonshine  
The wolf  
Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

As the movie-loving senior field agent started to head back to his seat, Ziva slipped off her barstool and headed over to the last chick she had seen Tony with, ready to give her a piece of her mind.

Aware that she was being watched, Ziva's quarry turned and faced her, long streaks of golden hair fanning out behind her, amber eyes wide.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized, assuming Tony was Ziva's boyfriend.

Ziva held up a hand, cutting her off. "He is no friend of mine," she lied.

"But he gives you what you want," the blonde noticed.

 _You lay it on oh so sweet  
Just like that bad cologne  
You're just smilin' tooth and nail  
Got to make your presence known_

"Uh, well, I . . ." Ziva stammered.

"You don't have to say anything."

The probie was about to reply when she suddenly tensed, feeling a presence behind her.

"Were you talking about me?" a male voice asked sweetly.

Ziva whirled, giving herself a case of whiplash, and found herself face-to-face with her partner. Standing this close to him, she could smell the strong cologne he was wearing. Tony's infamous grin was also in place, loudly announcing his presence to every female in the room.

 _But you are only a lonely hunter  
Some things you can't disguise  
Just to look in the hallway mirror  
Now it's howling in your eyes_

Her chocolate-brown eyes met his emerald-green ones angrily for a moment before she turned and headed towards the front door. Even over the noise, she could hear him following her. The scary thing was, Ziva had a feeling he was hunting her, no matter how he tried to disguise it.

Ziva had just reached the hallway that led out front when she felt his hand clamp down on her shoulder. Fear rushed through her as she slowly turned and met Tony's gaze. His lust for her, which had been reflected in the hallway mirror, was now howling in his eyes.

 _The wolf  
Prowling in the nighttime  
The wolf  
Howling in the moonshine  
The wolf  
Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine_

"Tony, do not do this," Ziva whispered, inching backwards until she felt the door pressing into the small of her back.

"Do what?"

As he shuffled closer, Ziva was reminded strongly of a wolf prowling in the nighttime. The way he looked at her, as if he wanted to devour her . . .

 _He won't hurt me,_ she thought. _He's my partner, for goodness' sake!_ Still, she couldn't suppress a flicker of doubt. Even so, she knew she could kick his butt if it came to a fight.

Ziva couldn't help wondering why Gibbs didn't come to her aid, or McGee, Abby, Ducky—even Palmer would be a huge help—come see what was going on. Surely the rest of the gang would've noticed their absence by now!

Suddenly, there was a loud crash at one of the tables. Tony's head whipped around to look, and Ziva took the opportunity to slip outside. By the time Tony looked back, the former Israeli had left the building. Sighing in exasperation, he started after her.

 _Silent slick and stealthy  
Slinking through your evil nights  
You can see in the dark they tell me  
The daylight burns your eyes_

She walked quickly through the D.C. streets, knowing Tony was slinking after her. _You can see in the dark, they tell me,_ she thought. _The daylight burns your eyes._

DiNozzo followed Ziva, keeping her in sight without help from a streetlamp or flashlight. When a car went shooting down the road a block ahead, the headlights momentarily blinded him.

 _I know you're trying to track me down now  
You're right on my trail  
You thinking you're going for the big big game  
But you're just chasing your own tail_

Shivering, Ziva walked even faster, breaking into a run. She just knew Tony was trying to track her down and that he was right on her trail. The ninja had no idea how she knew, she just did—if that makes any sense.

A half-block away, Tony could feel his excitement growing—as well as his desire. As with Ziva, he couldn't help comparing himself to a wolf hunting with the pack—only he was hunting alone. Little did he know he was chasing his own tail by going after Ziva. He didn't care. The senior NCIS agent just wanted her for his own. . . .

 _The wolf  
Prowling in the nighttime  
The wolf  
Howling in the moonshine  
The wolf  
Gives you what you want but he ain't no friend of mine _

 

 **Song: "The Wolf" by Heart**

 **Favorite parts, anyone? Reviews would make my day.**


	20. Thriller

_The full moon floated over the forest. Its pale silver rays lit up a couple as they sprinted through the trees, trying to outrun the moonbeams. No such luck. Just as they reached an abandoned shack, the moonlight struck the young man. He backed up against the wall, gasping._

 _"Get away!" he managed to choke out to his girlfriend and friends who surrounded him. He wondered where they came from for a fleeting moment; then the change began. Screaming, his date and their friends hightailed it out of there._

Tony glued his eyes to the screen in the movie theater, munching on popcorn like his life depended on it.

"Come on, Tony," his date said. "Let's go."

"But I'm enjoying this!" he protested. Bad choice. Immediately, his partner grabbed his wrist and held it in a vice grip. "I said, I'm done here," she hissed.

"Okay, Ziva," he relented, rising from the seat and following her out into the night. "You're scared, aren't you?" he teased.

Ziva whirled around. "Of course not! If horror movies like that scare me, would I be a NCIS agent for long?" Without waiting for his answer, she continued walking down the street. Tony followed her to his car, climbed in, and turned on the radio. At that moment, "Thriller" by Michael Jackson began playing. Tony began singing along, scarily enough.

 _"It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark  
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart  
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it  
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes  
You're paralyzed"_

"Tony," Ziva started to say.

"Yes?"

"Why don't we get out and walk around for a while? It's Halloween, for sobbing out loud!"

"It's 'crying out loud,' Ziva, but you have a very good point," the senior field agent conceded, stopping the car and climbing out. Ziva followed suit.

"And Tony, I am not paralyzed!"

"Will you let me finish?"

"You can't sing to save your life!"

"Which is why I have this handy little device." DiNozzo grinned and pulled out his iPod. He quickly scrolled down his list of songs. "Ah, here we go," he remarked, putting the headphones in both their ears.

 _'Cause this is thriller, thriller night  
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike  
You know its thriller, thriller night  
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight_

"Not really," Ziva commented.

Tony put the song on pause and shot her an icy glare. "Don't kid about it. It is All Hallow's Eve, after all."

Ziva looked around at the trick-or-treaters crowding the nearby streets and sighed. "I suppose you're right."

Their path had taken them through a cemetery (though where they find a cemetery in the middle of D.C., I have no idea). Ziva heard the whisper of a cloak behind them. She whirled around, making sure Tony turned with her, ready to fight whatever was following them. It was, sadly, only a teenage girl dressed up as a vampire.

 _You hear the door slam, and you realize there's nowhere left to run  
You feel the cold hand, and you wonder if you'll ever see the sun  
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination, girl  
But all the while you hear a creature creeping up behind  
You're out of time_

A nearby door slammed shut, causing the three of them to jump. The vampress vanished in the darkness, leaving the two NCIS agents standing back-to-back with their guns drawn. Terror engulfed Ziva as she realized they had nowhere to go. To her mind, it seemed that the shadows were creeping towards them and the grave heads were shifting closer and closer. She slammed her eyes shut, letting her other senses take over. The former Mossad liaison officer heard something behind her and Tony. Ziva hoped she was imagining it, but no such luck. The thing nearby crept closer, sending fallen leaves eddying out of its way.

 _We're so dead,_ she thought, suddenly giving new meaning to the song blasting in her left ear.

 _'Cause this is thriller, thriller night  
There ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes, girl  
Thriller, thriller night  
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight_

 _Forty eyes?_ she thought frantically. _And yeah, I am—with Tony. Could this night get any worse?_

Apparently, it could.

 _Night creatures crawl  
And the dead start to walk in their masquerade  
There's no escapin' the jaws of the alien this time  
(They're open wide)  
This is the end of your life_

 _Oh, crap,_ Ziva thought, moving closer to her co-worker. _I had to jinx it!_

 _They're out to get you, there's demons close to the inn on every side  
They will possess you, unless you change that number on your dial  
Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close together, yeah  
All through the night I'll save you from the terror on the screen_

Suddenly, she realized she was back in her apartment with Tony next to her watching a movie. She even thought she recognized it: Young Frankenstein. How did I get here? She thought in confusion. With a start, she realized Tony's arm was around her and she was sitting closer to him than she would have liked. (The iPod was on the table next to the couch, music on full blast.)

 _I'll make you see that this is thriller, thriller night  
Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try  
(Thriller, thriller night)  
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller  
Thriller here tonight_

 _Oh, this is just great,_ Ziva thought sarcastically, even as she found herself drowning in her partner's green gaze. By now, neither of them was paying attention to the movie; they were focused on each other. Almost as if they had thought of it at the same time, their heads moved closer, tilted to the left and their lips met. Warmth swirled through her as she felt his hands running through her dark, silky hair, deepening the kiss.

 _'Cause this is thriller, thriller night  
Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try  
(Thriller, thriller night)  
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller  
I'm gonna be here tonight_

 _You're right about that_ , she silently addressed the iPod. As she heard the rest of the song, she stiffened.

 _**Darkness falls across the land  
The midnighthour is close at hand  
Creatures crawl in search of blood  
To terrorize ya'lls neighborhood  
And whosoever shall be found  
Without the soul for getting down  
Must stand and face the hounds of hell  
And rot inside a corpse's shell** _

**_(I'm gonna be here tonight  
I'm gonna be here tonight  
I'm gonna be here tonight  
I'm gonna be here tonight  
Oh, darlin', thriller night)_ **

**_The foulest stenches in the air  
The funk of forty thousand years  
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb  
Are closing in to seal your doom  
And though you fight to stay alive  
Your body starts to shiver  
For no mere mortal can resist  
The evil of the thriller_ **

Ziva shuddered at the creepy laugh at the end of the song. She'd heard it several times, but it still creeped her out. Tony, feeling her stiffen and shiver, pulled back and looked at her quizzically.

"Ziva, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, pulling him in for another lip-lock. Crossing her fingers behind his back, she thought, _If he ever finds out this song gives me a slight case of the creeps, he'll never let me live it down. Of course, there are the advantages of this position. . . ._

 

 **Song: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson**

 **Favorite parts, anyone? Reviews would make my day.**


	21. What About Love?

_I've been lonely  
I've been waiting for you  
I'm pretending and that's all I can do  
The love I'm sending  
Ain't making it through to your heart_

The newest member of Team Gibbs sighed in frustration and slammed her hands on her desk. Her co-workers Tony DiNozzo and Tim McGee jumped and sent startled glances in Ziva David's direction. Only Leroy Jethro Gibbs himself looked unalarmed as he asked "What is it, Ziva?" after taking a sip of coffee.

"Nothing, Gibbs," she replied, even though she felt swamped by loneliness. Not only was she the only girl on the team—not counting Abby—the agent she loved wasn't taking the bait. She'd been waiting for him for years, and all she could do was pretend they were just co-workers.

 _You've been hiding—never letting it show  
Always trying to keep it under control  
You got it down and you're well  
On your way to the top  
But there's something that you forgot_

To make things worse, Ziva knew she and Tony were hiding their feelings from each other and never letting them show in case the fearless leader found out they were probably breaking Rule #12. Sure, there were times they'd briefly lose control in their game of cat-and-mouse, but otherwise Tony had it down, and the senior field agent was close to being team leader. Still, the new probie couldn't help feeling there was something the Italian field agent forgot.

 _What about love  
Don't you want someone to care about you  
What about love  
Don't let it slip away  
What about love  
I only want to share it with you  
You might need it some day_

 _I can't tell you what you're feeling inside  
And I can't sell you what you don't want to buy  
Something's missing you got to  
Look back on your life  
You know something here just ain't right_

Inspiration struck her as she thought of a way to attract Tony's attention so she could talk to him alone. Smiling slightly, she typed out an email message to DiNozzo: _I have to talk to you. Meet me over by that corner in the stairwell. Ziva._

Before hitting "Send", there was one other thing she had to take care of. Carefully, she formed a paper ball, took aim, and fired. It landed on Tony's desk, and then bounced off. The field agent's head shot up and he looked questionably at the probationary agent. Ziva mouthed "Check your email," after she hit "Send."

Still leaving DiNozzo looking confused, she rose and headed to the corner staircase, where she was hidden from the others' view. After a few heartbeats, she heard his familiar footsteps coming towards her, and then he came into sight. He asked in concern, "What is it, Ziva?"

She could feel tears welling up but managed to hold them back. Ziva managed to say, "Don't you want someone to care about you?"

"Huh?" After a moment, his expression cleared and grew wistful. Ziva just knew he was thinking about Jeanne, so she snapped, "And I don't mean Jeanne, either."

"Then who do you mean, Ziva?"

The former Mossad liaison officer sighed. "Tony, I can't tell you what you're feeling inside, and I can't sell you what you don't want to buy, but something is missing."

He still looked perplexed, so she continued, "You got to look back on your life. Something here just isn't right, Tony!"

Too late, she realized her voice had risen on the last sentence and every agent in the place was looking at them curiously.

The two agents just stared back defiantly until the others returned to their business. Once Ziva was sure they were being totally ignored, she returned her attention to DiNozzo, whose perplexed expression was beginning to clear as what she was implying dawned on him. "Oh, you don't mean—"

"Yes, I do." Ziva sighed, "Maybe I should explain."

Which translates to: "Maybe I should sing part of a song." Now all she had to do was remember the lyrics. Since it was an old song, she racked her brain trying to bring the elusive memory forth. As the lyrics suddenly popped into her head, she sang quietly:

 _"What about love  
Don't you want someone to care about you  
What about love  
Don't let it slip away  
What about love  
I only want to share it with you"_

Tony swallowed nervously and took a pace away from her. "I do, too, Ziva, but—" He broke off. "Gibbs wants to see me. I'd better go."

Quickly, he backed away and hurried off, leaving Ziva staring helplessly after him.

 _What about love  
Don't you want someone to care about you  
What about love  
Don't let it slip away  
What about love  
I only want to share it with you_

 _Love oh oh  
What about love  
Love  
Ooh what about love  
Love love love  
What about what about love  
What about love_

 

 **Song: "What About Love" by Heart**

 **Favorite parts, anyone? Reviews would be lovely.**


	22. What He Don't Know

Ziva David exchanged a worried glance with Anthony DiNozzo (who liked to be called Tony by his friends and co-workers) as they slunk after Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the team's leader. Their other partner, Timothy McGee, noticed the look they gave each other, and then the anxious glance they gave Gibbs. _What's that about?_ he wondered.

 _He don't know that you been coming around  
He don't know that we been out of bounds  
The things we do are better left unsaid  
Cause you and me can never keep our heads_

In fact, what McGee didn't know—or Gibbs, Ziva and Tony hoped—was that the two partners had been meeting secretly for weeks. A smile came to Ziva's face as she recalled the night she'd had with DiNozzo. Hopefully, Gibbs didn't know that they'd broken Rule #12 and gone way out of line. She thought, _We never could keep our heads._

 _What he don't know  
Will never hurt him  
What he don't know  
Is I have changed  
It's just a matter of time  
Till it all comes down down down  
Till he hears  
The stories going round round round  
What he don't know  
What he don't know_

Swiftly casting a look at Gibbs, she crept over to the side of the MCRT van, signaling for Tony to follow her. As soon as Gibbs and McGee couldn't see or hear them, she murmured, "We don't have to tell Gibbs, you know. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, he doesn't know that I have changed."

Tony nodded in agreement; then his green gaze grew serious. "I know, Ziva. I wasn't planning on telling, but it's just a matter of time till it all comes down and he hears the stories going around. What will we do then?"

 _Baby I'm open to your every suggestion  
Nothing you ask is out of the question  
Things I wouldn't do ya got me doin'  
And oh what I wouldn't do for you_

Ziva cast wildly around for a solution, then shook her head in defeat. "I don't know, but I'm open to your every suggestion. Nothing you ask is in of the question."

"It's 'out of the question,' Ziva," Tony corrected.

"Look, I know I got the question thing right! But, Tony, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." She could feel her gaze grow soft as she looked at him, trailing her index finger up his arm.

"Ziva . . ." he started to say before losing control and pressing his lips to hers. They only broke apart when they heard Gibbs' footsteps coming towards them.

By the time the silver-haired team leader's head came around the corner of the van, the two agents had busied themselves with climbing in. "Huh," he muttered to himself as he climbed into the driver's seat. "I wonder what's gotten into them."

 _What he don't know  
Will never hurt him  
What he don't know  
Is I have changed  
It's just a matter of time  
Till it all comes down down down  
Till he hears  
The stories going round round round  
What he don't know  
What he don't know_

 _What he don't know  
Will never hurt him  
What he don't know  
Is I have changed  
It's just a matter of time  
Till it all comes down down down  
Till he hears  
The stories going round round round_

Abby, the Gothic forensic scientist, who had decided to come along, heard him, popped up outside the window, and remarked, "Haven't you heard the stories going around about those two?"

"What stories?"

She grinned wickedly. "You don't know? Remind me to fill you in when you get back from the crime scene."

Before Gibbs could say anything else, she turned and headed back to her lab.

 _What stories?_ Gibbs wondered again.

 _What he don't know  
What he don't know  
What he don't know  
What he don't know_

 

 **Song: "What He Don't Know" by Heart**


	23. If Tomorrow Never Comes

_Sometimes late at night  
I lie awake and watch her sleeping  
She's lost in peaceful dreams  
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark  
And the thought crosses my mind  
If I never wake up in the morning  
Would she ever doubt the way I feel  
About her in my heart_

Tony DiNozzo rolled onto his side and gazed at Ziva's sleeping form beside him. She looked so peaceful, undisturbed by nightmares. He switched off the bedside lamp and lay there, drinking in her scent. All of a sudden, he thought, _Will she ever doubt how I feel about her?_

 _If tomorrow never comes  
Will she know how much I loved her  
Did I try in every way to show her every day  
That she's my only one  
And if my time on earth were through  
And she must face this world without me  
Is the love I gave her in the past  
Gonna be enough to last  
If tomorrow never comes_

Memories floated through his head: when they were undercover as assassins; then they were back in Somaliawith Saleem. _"I couldn't live without you, I guess."_ Next they were trapped in the container, with him looking up at her. . . . _Did I try every day to show her how much she means to me?_

 _'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life  
Who never knew how much I loved them  
Now I live with the regret  
That my true feelings for them never were revealed  
So I made a promise to myself  
To say each day how much she means to me  
And avoid that circumstance  
When there's no second chance to tell her how I feel_

Suddenly, other memories crowded out the ones of Ziva: Kate, killed by Ari—Ziva's half brother; Jeanne, who accused him of murder after he'd revealed that he was an NCIS agent; Paula Cassidy, who also died in the line of duty when she'd tackled a suicide bomber into a secret room to prevent them all from being killed.

Silently, he made a promise to himself to say to Ziva how much she meant to him. That way, he'd avoid the incident where there was not a second chance to tell her how he felt about her. Although he was pretty sure he knew, seeing as he was crazy in love with her was always shining in his eyes.

 _'Cause if tomorrow never comes  
Will she know how much I loved her  
Did I try in every way to show her every day  
That she's my only one  
And if my time on earth were through  
And she must face this world without me  
Is the love I gave her in the past  
Gonna be enough to last  
If tomorrow never comes_

 _If tomorrow never comes,_ Tony thought, _will she know how much I loved—love—her?_ Staring at Ziva's sleeping form, he hoped she did.

 _So tell that someone that you love  
Just what you're thinking of  
If tomorrow never comes_

 

 **Song: "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks**

It's kinda sad, but sweet, too, don't you think? ****


	24. Hotel California

_On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair  
Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air  
Up ahead in the distance I saw a shimmering light  
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dimmer  
I had to stop for the night_

Mike Franks drove on the darkening highway with no particular destination in mind except a bar. Cool wind danced through the open windows of his ancient truck and ruffled his graying black hair. He could smell the warm, tantalizing scent of colitas drifting up through the air.

His head suddenly grew heavy and his sight dimmed with fatigue as he saw a shimmering light up ahead.

 _Just a little farther,_ he told himself, _before I stop for the night._

 _There she stood in the doorway  
I heard the mission bell  
And I was thinking to myself,  
'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell'  
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way  
There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say_

The retired NCIS agent slowed to a stop outside an old hotel. A beautiful woman stood in the doorway, fixing him with her steely gaze. With a wave of her hand, she gestured for Franks to follow.

As he stepped forward, Mike heard the mission bell tolling. He thought, _This could be Heaven or this could be Hell._

Meanwhile, his guide lit up a candle and showed him the way to his room down the corridor. Was it his imagination, or were there voices saying . . .

 _Welcome to the Hotel California  
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)  
Such a lovely face  
Plenty of room at the Hotel California  
Any time of year (any time of year), you can find it here_

After checking into his room, Mike decided to wander around for a while and explore. In the center of Hotel California, he found an open courtyard. One figure looked slightly familiar.

 _What's Ziva doing here? Or that lady director, for that matter?_

 _Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends  
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys that she calls friends  
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat  
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget_

Both women had minds that were Tiffany-twisted, but Jenny had the Mercedes bends. Director Sheppard also had a lot of guys that she called friends, Leroy Jethro Gibbs among them.

As Franks watched from against a pillar, Ziva grabbed—Tony?—and started to dance. It was some dance to remember, yet some dance to forget.

 _So I called up the Captain,  
'Please bring me my wine'  
He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine'  
And still those voices are calling from far away  
Wake you up in the middle of the night  
Just to hear them say . . ._

 _Welcome to the Hotel California  
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)  
Such a lovely face  
They living it up at the Hotel California  
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise), bring your alibis_

Franks called up the captain and ordered a beer. The guy commented, "You know, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969."

"Really?" Mike asked as he took a swig.

"Oh, yes." The captain nodded sagely.

The former NIS agent could still hear the voices calling in the distance. Downing the rest of his shot, he ambled off to his own room and crashed, only to be awoken a few hours later by voices. They said, _Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place, such a lovely face. They livin' it up at the Hotel California. What a nice surprise—bring your alibis._

Franks grouched, "You woke me up in the middle of the night just to hear you guys say _that_?"

 _Yes,_ the voices replied. _Now, get up. There's something you should see. Someone's waiting for you._

"Huh?"

But the voices were gone.

 _Mirrors on the ceiling,  
The pink champagne on ice  
And she said, 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'  
And in the master's chambers  
They gathered for the feast  
They stab it with their steely knives  
But they just can't kill the beast_

His room's door swung open before Franks could grumble a reply. In the doorway stood the same woman who'd welcomed him to the hotel. Without a word, she motioned for him to follow her. The old NIS agent did, wondering what was going down.

Mirrors laced the ceiling. Whenever Mike looked up, he saw his own reflection staring back at him.

There was seriously something wrong with this place, what with the voices, mirrors, and pink champagne on ice. As if reading his thoughts, his guide said, "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device."

"I don't suppose you could clarify that?"

She clammed up and continued walking toward the master's chambers.

"Figures," Mike Franks muttered before hastily catching up. What he saw next made him freeze in the entrance.

Several men, women, and even a few teens were gathered around a table ready for a feast. Steel flashed silver as they each tried to stab a huge hog, but they just couldn't kill the beast.

DiNozzo, David, and Director Sheppard, he was pleased to note, were nowhere to be seen.

 _Last thing I remember, I was  
Running for the door  
I had to find the passage back  
To the place I was before  
'Relax,' said the night man,  
'We are programmed to receive.  
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.'_

The last thing the retired agent remembered, he had bolted for the door. He had to find the passage back to his car.

A night man looked up calmly as Franks exploded into the lobby, gun drawn. "Relax. We are programmed to receive here at the Hotel California. You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave."

Maniacal laughter echoed in the room as Mike stood shell-shocked in horror.

Then his eyes snapped open on darkness. The Eagles singing "Life in the Fast Lane" floated through the room.

Glaring at the beer bottle in his hand, Franks vowed, "I am not going to fall asleep again while drinking and listening to the Eagles."

Now, if only he could keep it . . .

 

 **Song: "Hotel California" by Eagles**

 **Please leave a review on your way out.**


	25. Love Is A Battlefield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off the music video. AU.

The bus drove along the road, green fields flying by out the window. Ziva David sat near the back, watching the countryside. After a few minutes, she rested her head back and closed her eyes.

 _(We are young, heartache to heartache we stand  
No promises, no demands  
Love is a battlefield)_

 _Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa_

At least fifteen minutes later, she was at home having yet another row with her father, Eli David. Finally he ordered, "Get out!"

Glaring at him defiantly, Ziva grabbed her bag and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Before leaving, she looked back at her house. Her heart tightened when she saw her half-brother gazing sadly at her from his bedroom window.

Eli shouted, "Don't ever bother coming back! If you know what's good for you, stay away!"

 _We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong  
Searchin' our hearts for so long, both of us knowing  
Love is a battlefield_

She glared at him one last time before turning and racing away.

Ziva ran until her aching sides and burning muscles forced her to slow to a walk. Breathing heavily, she looked around, taking in her surroundings. Where would a seventeen-year-old on the run go to stay safe? She wondered. Taking in the area again, she realized she was near a subway. It was getting dark, but people crowded the streets. Whenever someone shoved into her accidentally, Ziva flinched and stepped back. This wouldn't do.

Then she remembered that there was a safe house nearby. Maybe she could stay there for the night, then work out a plan in the morning. Yes, that was what she would do, Ziva decided. Pleased with herself, she started walking. When she arrived, she slipped quietly inside, dropped her bag, and crashed on the bed.

 _You're begging me to go, you're making me stay  
Why do you hurt me so bad  
It would help me to know  
Do I stand in your way, or am I the best thing you've had  
Believe me, believe me I can't tell you why  
But I'm trapped by your love and I'm chained to your side_

Back home, Eli David's fork slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor. He automatically picked up it, then continued pushing the food on his plate around.

The whole family felt Ziva's absence keenly. She might have thought she stood in his way, but in reality, she was the best thing he'd had. Eli regretted cutting her loose, but doubted she would forgive him.

At that moment, Ziva's eyes snapped open. Sunlight filled the safe house. Panic filled her briefly as she saw unfamiliar walls; then memory set in and she relaxed. She still had to keep moving.

As she walked along the street, heading towards a high school, her thoughts unintentionally turned to her father. He'd begged her to go, yet making her stay in the house until she finished high school. Why had he hurt her so bad? Honestly, it would have helped her to know if she stood in his way or was the best thing he'd had. She couldn't tell him why she'd left, but even from so far away she was trapped by his love and chained to his side.

Carefully, she studied the teenagers around her, wondering if any of them could help.

 _We are young, heartache to heartache we stand  
No promises, no demands  
Love is a battlefield_

 _We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong  
Searchin' our hearts for so long, both of us knowing  
Love is a battlefield_

After all, they were her own age. They were strong; no one could tell them they were wrong.

Then her eyes settled on a good-looking guy with dark brown hair and green eyes. For some reason, butterflies fluttered in her stomach and her heart beat faster as he peeled off from his friends and headed in her direction. Ziva was suddenly very aware that she probably looked dirty and grungy from being out all night. What did she care? For that matter, since when did she care what she looked like?

The guy stopped in front of her and flashed a teasing grin. "Going somewhere?"

Her shoulders tensed, then relaxed as she reminded herself that she had been looking for help. "Yes. I'm Ziva, by the way."

"Tony. Now, where are you going?"

Who knew that would be the start of a long friendship and years later they would be partners at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service?

 _We're losing control  
Will you turn me away, or touch me deep inside  
And if all this gets old, will it still feel the same  
There's no way this will die  
But if we get much closer, I could lose control  
And if your heart surrenders, you'll need me to hold_

Ziva sat down in a comfortable chair to rest. On her latest case, she was undercover as a dancer, hoping to get close to a petty officer using the club as a front for drug smuggling. She loved dancing, but wasn't too fond of dancing with some stranger. If only . . .

"Excuse me, but do I know you?"

Ziva's brown eyes nearly bounced out of their sockets as she rolled them up to find herself looking at Tony's face. Grinning, he added, "I must be looking for some other Lisa Daniels."

Well, it wouldn't be breaking her cover if she danced with him, Ziva supposed. Rising, she gave him a wolfish smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, swaying to the music. If he knew how she felt about him, would he turn her away or touch her deep inside? Ziva couldn't deny that they were losing control over their feelings. From the way he was holding her, hands slowly trailing up her exposed back, she suspected he knew what he was doing to her. If her job got old, would it still feel the same? There was no way this could die, but if they became much closer, Ziva knew she would lose control. If his heart surrendered, he would need her to hold.

"Let go of me!"

The shriek from one of the other dancers brought Ziva back to earth abruptly. Swiftly, she stepped back from her partner and glanced around, searching for the source. She found it a few seconds later. One of the guys was harassing another dancer. She tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm tightly. He wouldn't let go when she struggled to break free.

If Ziva was in her regular clothes, she would attack and end the situation right then and there. Since she was wearing a dress and was undercover, she couldn't really . . . Hold on. She was undercover as a dancer, and since some dance moves could be lethal . . . Bingo. She'd found her solution.

[Insert MJ moves here if you've seen the music video.]

A few minutes later, the terrified guy had left the building. Smiling broadly, a satisfied Ziva walked out, Tony and the others at her heels. Abby was going to _love_ hearing about this.

 _re young, heartache to heartache we stand  
No promises, no demands  
Love is a battlefield_

 _We are strong, no one can tell us we're wrong  
Searchin' our hearts for so long  
Both of us knowing . . .  
Love is a battlefield_

 

 **Song: "Love Is A Battlefield" by Pat Benatar**


	26. Easy Target

_Everytime I hear your voice on the phone  
Evertime you leave me so long alone  
Everytime I think that my heart's gonna break  
You knock at my door, you're back on the make_

NCIS Director Jenny Sheppard hung up the phone from where she'd just finished talking with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He'd left her so long alone and she thought her heart was going to break. The redhead jumped as the silence was broken by a rapping at the door. Sighing, she went to answer it.

There stood her ex-lover, Gibbs himself. _Oh, goodie,_ she thought sarcastically, _he's back on the make._

 _If your hands were tied  
If your eyes were closed  
Anyway you dish it out baby  
I just couldn't say no_

"Hey, Jen," he said lightly.

"What do you want, Jethro?" she replied frostily.

He shifted his weight on the doorstep. "Well, you inviting me out of the rain might help."

"It's not raining."

As if to contradict her, it started raining at that moment. Gibbs gave her a small smile, knowing what she was going to do the instant before she did it. Opening the door, she allowed him inside.

"Well, what do you want?" Jenny repeated.

His ice-blue eyes met her own. "Would you want to just, I don't know, give me another chance?"

Her heart leapt. She couldn't say no, anyway he tried to dish it out.

"Yes."

 _Easy target  
Open season and you are the reason  
Easy target  
I got caught you are such a good shot now  
Easy target  
Hard to believe I'm so reckless and naive baby  
Easy target  
Easy for me to let you do what you please_

She was such an easy target for him—and he was the reason why. Gibbs had caught her—so to speak.

 _You're such a good shot now._

As if he'd read her thoughts, Jethro smiled. "Well, thank you."

"Don't flatter yourself." Even as Jen said the words, she was drowning in his gaze. In her mind, they were back in Paris, not her huose. It was hard for her to believe she'd been so reckless and naive. But now . . . now it was so easy for her to let him do what he pleased.

Sensing the way her thoughts were heading, the ex-sniper let his lips tease before pressing them to the redhead's.

 _Maybe I'm a heartbreak waiting to be  
Maybe lady luck is laughing with me  
I'm an easy target  
Deep in the dark  
You took your aim  
You hit your mark_

Okay, so maybe Director Sheppard was a heartbreak waiting to be. Then again, maybe lady luck was laughing with her, thinking she and Gibbs could work this out. Jen knew all about Rule Twelve and that it was made because of her; but right now, with Jethro holding her the way he was, she was such an easy target.

Her hand searched the wall behind her. Finding the light switch, she flipped off the lights, encasing the two of them in darkness.

 _If your hands were tied  
If your eyes were closed  
Anyway you dish it out baby  
I just couldn't say no_

Right now, if his hands were tied and his eyes were closed, anyway he tried to dish it out, she just couldn't say no.

Not that she knew what he was going to ask.

 _Easy target  
Open season and you are the reason baby  
Easy target  
I got caught you are such a good shot now  
Easy target  
It's hard to believe I'm so reckless and naive oh  
Easy target  
Easy for me to let you do what you please_

 _He's certianly hit his mark,_ Jen thought. With her being such an easy target at the moment, it was so easy for her to let him do what he wanted. Honestly, she was secretly hoping it involved taking this a step further.

Who knew the redhead could be so reckless?

 _If your hands were tied  
If your eyes were closed  
Anyway you dish it out  
I just couldn't say no_

 _Easy target  
Open season and you are the reason baby  
Easy target  
I got caught you are such a good shot now  
Easy target  
It's hard to believe I'm so reckless and naive baby  
Easy target  
Easy for me to let you do what you please_

 

 **Song: "Easy Target" by Heart**

 **Please leave a review on your way out. Really. I want to know what you think. Favorite parts, anyone? Requests would be nice.**


	27. How Can I Refuse

_Wake me up with laughter  
Wrap me in your arms  
This ain't no morning after  
Never been so warm  
It didn't take so long  
For us to feel this way  
Can a good thing last  
Longer than a day_

Abby Scuito opened her eyes at the sound of quiet laughter. She turned her head slightly and found herself wrapped in Timothy McGee's warm embrace. Morning sunlight streamed through the window, warming her even further with its rays.

It didn't take long at all for them to feel the way they did about each other. Abby was now wondering if she and Tim could make this last for longer than a few days.

 _Where do we take it now  
Now that we caught fire  
Will something greater grow  
Out of this desire  
Should I drop my guard  
At the risk of being used  
But the way you do those things to me  
How can I refuse_

The Goth thought, _Where do we take it now, now that we caught fire? Will something greater grow out of this desire?_

Whenever Abby had let down her guard concerning men, she'd been used. Should she drop her guard for McGee at the same risk? But, oh, the way he did those things to her, how could she refuse?

 _I could get addicted  
To your energy  
The way you take me over  
Mmm keeps pulling on me  
Our hearts beat together  
Our timing is the same  
Can I trust my feelings  
Save myself the pain_

Tony held Ziva close, his lips brushing over her temple. Honestly, she could become addicted to his energy. Already the way he had taken her over kept pulling on her. She could feel his heart beating in time with her own. Their timing was the same. Ziva thought, _Can I trust my feelings, save myself the pain?_

 _Where do we take it now  
Now that we caught fire  
Will something greater grow  
Out of this desire  
Should I drop my guard  
At the risk of being used  
But the way you do those things to me  
How can I refuse_

Where did they take it now, now that they had finally given in to their feelings and caught fire? Ziva was hoping that something greater could grow out of this desire. She wondered, _Should I drop my guard at the risk of being used?_ Every other time she did, she had been. Yet the way Tony did those things to her, how could Ziva refuse?

 _We could share the mystery  
Spare ourselves the misery  
Discover it again every day  
We could take love all the way_

Both Abby and Ziva felt that they could share the mystery with their respective guys, sparing themselves the misery at the same time. With McGee and DiNozzo, respectively, they could discover it again every day. The four of them could take love all the way.

 _Where do we take it now  
Now that we caught fire  
Will something greater grow  
Out of this desire  
Should I drop my guard  
At the risk of being used  
But the way you do those things to me  
How can I refuse_

 _How can I refuse you  
How can I refuse you  
How can I refuse you_

 

 **Song: "How Can I Refuse" by Heart**


	28. Magic Man (AU)

_Cold late night so long ago  
When I was not so strong, you know  
A pretty man came to me  
I never seen eyes so blue  
You know, I could not run away it seemed  
We'd seen each other in a dream  
Seemed like he knew me, he looked right through me, yeah_

The night air felt chill on Jennifer Sheppard's bare arms and legs as she strolled down the street. There was only one other person out on the street this late at night, and he was about to pass her by. Jen froze as he neared her, staring into his ice-blue eyes. She'd never seen eyes so blue.

Jenny tried to run away, but she couldn't move. She had seen him before in her dreams, although the redhead was pretty sure she'd never met him in real life.

He slowed to a stop, looking right through her as if trying to place her. Finally he said softly, "Hello, Jen."

"Jethro." The name caught in her throat.

 _Come on home girl he said with a smile  
You don't have to love me yet, let's get high awhile  
But try to understand, try to understand  
Try try try to understand . . . I'm a magic man_

He smiled and said, "Come on home, girl. You don't have to love me yet, let's get high awhile."

She hesitated before replying, "Okay." Hopefully, her friends and family would understand. After all, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a magic man.

 _Winter nights we sang in tune  
Played inside the months of moon  
Never think of never, let the spell last forever  
Well summer lover passed to fall  
Tried to realize it all  
Mama says she's worried, growing up in a hurry, yeah_

The months flew by. During the winter nights, they sang in tune as part of a gig, playing inside the months of moon. Jen forced herself not to think about how their relationship would end and let the spell she'd fallen under last forever. Before she knew it, she and Jethro had passed from summer lovers to fall. Lying in bed one Saturday morning, she tried to realize all that had happened. Her mother was constantly worrying about her, saying Jenny was growing up in a hurry.

 _Come on home girl Mama cried on the phone  
Too soon to lose my baby yet my girl should be at home  
But try to understand, try to understand  
Try try try to understand he's a magic man Mama ah he's a magic man_

She was with Jethro, relaxing in the shade of a huge elm tree, when her phone rang. Reluctantly, Jenny untangled herself from his embrace and reached for her cell phone. "I'm sorry, but I have to answer this," she apologized, hitting TALK. "Hello?" the redheaded teenager said into the phone.

"Thank God you're there!" her mom cried. "Come on home, girl. It's too soon to lose my baby, yet my girl should be at home."

"Mom, I'm sixteen!" Jenny protested.

Ms. Sheppard sighed. "I know, but—"

Jen interrupted, "But try to understand, try to understand he's a magic man, Mama." She sighed before repeating, "He's a magic man."

"Now, listen here young lady—" her mother began hotly.

She was cut off as her headstrong hung up. Content, Jen leaned back against Jethro, a small smile on her lips as his arms came around her.

 _Come on home girl he said with a smile  
I cast my spell of love on you a woman from a child  
But try to understand, try to understand . . . oh oh  
Try try to understand  
Try try try to understand he's a magic man . . . oh yeah  
He's got the magic hands_

Her boyfriend turned her face to his. He asked, "Is something wrong at home?"

"Not exactly," Jen felt compelled to explain. "Mom wanted me back."

"Well, come on home, girl," Jethro said with a smile. "I cast my spell of love on you a woman from a child."

Jen felt herself growing warm. If any of her friends saw them right now, they could at least try to understand that he had the magic hands—hands that right now were doing delicious things to her.

She never wanted these moments to end. Hopefully, they never would. (Yeah, right.)

 _Come on home girl he said with a smile  
You don't have to love me yet let's get high awhile  
But try to understand, try to understand  
Try try try to understand he's a magic man, oh oh_

 

 **Song: "Magic Man" by Heart**

 **Look, I know it's very OOC, but otherwise it wouldn't match the song. Besides, every time I hear this song, I think it's perfect for Gibbs and Jenny. Who else agrees?**


	29. Precious Time

_I don't want to argue about who is the victim  
'Cause maybe we both got burned  
I don't want to talk about who is the traitor  
'Cause both of our loyalties turned  
I don't want to fight about who is the liar  
'Cause there's too many ways to lie  
I don't want to hear about who is the winner  
'Cause we both know it's a tie_

Jennifer Sheppard, the director of NCIS, stood facing Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs with her hands on her hips. Currently, the two of them were in another argument and, frankly, Jenny was sick of it. She didn't want to argue about who was the victim, because both she and Gibbs had been burned—maybe. Nor did she want to talk about which of them was the traitor, 'cause both of their personal loyalties had turned. Jen also didn't want to fight about who was the liar: there were simply too many ways to lie. Gibbs had a rule about that, but right now the redheaded lady director didn't care. She also didn't want to hear about who was the winner in their latest clash of wills 'cause they both knew it was a tie.

 _Cut it out, drop it  
Count me out, Baby, stop it  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time_

Why couldn't Gibbs drop it? _Count me out,_ Jen thought, _Baby, stop it._

Life was too short, so why were they wasting precious time by constantly bickering?

 _You were on a liquid diet, you were sure you had to try it  
And you lost all your pounds  
The doctor's on vacation, so you took the medication  
And wound up in lost and found  
So we took that trip to Paris'cause you swore that it would scare us out of our swift decline  
All that I remember 'bout those days in that September is the merci and the wine_

Recently, the team leader had been on a liquid diet. He'd been so sure he had to try it, and he lost all his pounds. The doctor was on vacation, so Jethro took the medication. He'd wound up in lost and found.

Years ago, the two of them had taken that trip toParispartly because of the op, but also because Gibbs swore that it would scare them out of their swift decline. All that Jenny remembered 'bout those days in that September was the merci, the wine, and, of course, making love whenever they could.

 _Cut it out, drop it  
Count me out, Baby, stop it  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time  
Precious Time, Precious Time, oh Precious Time  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time_

Why couldn't they just drop things that would be better forgotten? For that matter, why waste precious time when life was too short? Director Sheppard had no idea, and she was pretty sure Gibbs didn't either.

The redhead hated to admit it, but he had a way of cutting it out when she wanted him too—as long as it was on his own terms.

Gibbs glared at his ex-lover. "Can I go now?"

"Sure. You do what you want anyway."

 _You talk on the telephone  
Long distance to New York or Rome  
Some would say you got it made  
Your home is like a fortress  
No one comes in but the florist  
The gardener, and the maid  
You call me on the telephone  
You say you feel so alone  
Too tired to get dressed and get out  
First you're happy, then you're sad  
Somehow you always hang up mad  
Excuse me if I shout_

Later, Director Sheppard was at home, relaxing, and on a long distance phone call to her people inNew York. Some would say she had it made, seeing as her house was like a fortress (as was Gibbs's). No one came in but the florist, the gardener, and the maid.

Finishing up her phone call, Jenny was about to put the phone back when it rang again. She hesitated before answering, "Yes?"

"Hello, Jen," Jethro said over the phone.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Any chance you could come over?"

"Let me guess: you're too tired to get dressed and get out."

"Actually, yes. We've had a tough day, as you know very well." He sounded sad for some odd reason.

"I'm sorry, Jethro, but I can't."

"Why not, _Director_?" he asked sarcastically. Now he was starting to become mad.

The redhead exploded. "Excuse me if I shout, but I don't seem to recall my life revolving around you and vice versa!" she shouted.

He hung up, obviously still mad. Somehow, he always did after talking to her.

 _Cut it out, drop it  
Count me out, Baby, stop it  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time  
Precious Time, Precious Time, Precious Time  
Life is too short, so why waste precious time_

 

 **Song: "Precious Time" by Pat Benatar**


	30. Promises in the Dark

**A/N: This song is in Ziva's point of view, but it's mostly about DiNozzo.**

 

Tony DiNozzo looked up from his paperwork and caught Ziva looking at him before she quickly glanced away. A small smile tugged at the senior field agent's lips. It vanished when he reminded himself that Ziva was his partner and he'd just started seeing Jeanne less than a month ago. But Ziva had always been there for him, and . . .

What in the name all that's holy was he thinking? She was his partner, for crying out loud, and there was Rule Twelve to think about!

 _Never again, isn't that what you said  
You've been through this before  
An' you swore this time you'd think with your head  
No one would ever have you again  
And if takin' was gonna get done  
You'd decide where and when_

Hadn't he said that he'd never again be hurt by his commitment issues? He'd been through this choice before, and he swore to himself that this time he would think with his head. When he felt, he could be hurt. As such, no one would ever have him again. If takin' was gonna get done, he'd decide where and when.

But Ziva looked up and over at him again, something flickering in her eyes that he couldn't identify.

 _Just when you think you got it down  
Your heart securely tied and bound  
They whisper, Promises in the dark_

Just when DiNozzo thought he had it down, his heart securely tied and bound, they whispered promises in the dark.

First, Kate had died. Then Paula Cassidy, one of his love interests who had been temporarily assigned to Team Gibbs, had been reassigned after being kidnapped by a copycat killer. She had then sacrificed herself to save them. Now, just recently, he'd been put on an undercover assignment to get close to Jeanne Bentoit. Sadly, it was working.

 _Armed and ready, you fought love battles in the night  
But too many opponents made you weary of the fight  
Blinded by passion you foolishly let someone in  
All the warnings went off in your head  
Still you had to give in_

That night, he drove to Jeanne's apartment, all the while plagued by thoughts of his gorgeous Israeli partner. Too many opponents had made him weary of the fight, even though he was armed and ready—so to speak.

Tony was startled out of his thoughts as he looked in the rearview mirror and spotted a very familiar car tailing him. _What's Ziva doing here?_

The undercover agent pulled over to the side and slipped out. Sure enough, Ziva followed.

Blinded by passion, he foolishly let her in. All the warnings went off in his head, but Tony still had to give in.

 _Just when you think you got it down  
Resistance nowhere to be found  
They whisper, Promises in the dark_

As before, just when he thought he had it down, resistance nowhere to be found, Jeanne, Jenny, all the women in his life, whispered promises in the dark.

 _But promises, you know what they're for  
It sounds so convincing, But you heard it before  
'Cause talk is cheap, and you gotta be sure  
And so you put up your guard  
And you try to be hard  
But your heart says try again_

DiNozzo knew what promises were for. It sounded so convincing, but he'd heard the words Jeanne was saying now after he'd left Ziva for the doctor's apartment before. Talk was cheap, and he had to be sure. So he put up his guard and he tried to be hard, but his heart said to try again.

 _You desperately search for a way to conquer the fear  
No line of attack has been planned to fight back the tears  
Where brave and restless dreams are both won and lost  
On the edge is where it seems it's well worth the cost  
Just when you think you got it down  
Your heart in pieces on the ground  
They whisper, Promises in the dark_

The senior field agent was desperately searching for a way to conquer his fear of long-term commitments, as well as losing someone else he loved. No line of attack had been planned to fight back the occasional tears, although DiNozzo men didn't cry.

Where brave and restless dreams were both won and lost, on the edge was where it seemed was well worth the cost.

"Tony," someone whispered, "promise me . . ."

Right when he thought he had it down, his heart in pieces on the ground, they whispered promises in the dark. . . .

 

 **Song: "Promises in the Dark" by Pat Benatar**


	31. Just Like Me

Abby Scuito tore her gaze away from the computer screen in front of her and stole another glance at McGee.

"Would you stop doing that, Abby?" he complained.

"Stop what?" she replied, taking a sip of Caf-Pow.

"Giving me sideways looks."

 _It's just like me  
To say to you  
Love me dear, an' I'll be true  
And all I want  
For you to say  
Is you'll come home  
With me each day_

Right now would probably be the time for her to say "Love me dear an' I'll be true." It would so be like Abby. What she actually said was, "I am not giving you sideways looks, Timmy! Besides, all I want for you to say is you'll come home with me each day." Realizing too late what she'd just said, she clamped her hands over her mouth. _Oops._

Timothy McGeek just started at her, dumbfounded. "Did you really just say that, Abby?"

"No, it was the little voices in your head taking," she replied sarcastically. "What d'ya think?"

Her companion's mouth just gapped like a goldfish's. The Goth shrugged and let her mind wander.

 _You could be my love  
That's what I want  
Just you, secure  
And safe from harm  
It's just like me  
To feel so good  
And fall so much  
In love with you_

 _It's just like me  
It's just like me  
I'm not your fool  
That's what I'll be  
It's just like you  
To say goodbye  
And leave me all alone, I cry_

Tim could be her love. That was what Abby wanted, after all: just him, secure and safe from harm. It was just like her to feel so good and fall so much in love with the Elf Lord.

Yet at the same time, she wasn't his fool, but that's what she would be if it meant holding on to McGee.

It was just like Elf Lord to say goodbye and leave Abby all alone to cry.

 _It's just like me  
To say to you  
Love me dear an' I'll be true  
And all I want  
For you to say  
Is you'll come home  
With me each day_

"What d'ya got?" Gibbs suddenly asked, coming up from behind and handing his favorite forensic scientist a fresh Caf-Pow.

"We got nothing," Abby replied glumly.

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Oh." She said all excited, "We got nothing!"

"See ya," the team leader grouched, exiting Labby. That left Abby alone with McGee—again.

"Love me dear an' I'll be true. All I want for you to say is you'll come home with me each day," the Goth thought out loud. It was so like her that McGemcity didn't even bat an eye this time.

 _It's just like me  
It's just like me  
I'm not your fool  
That's what I'll be  
It's just like you  
To say goodbye  
And leave me all alone, I cry  
It's just like me  
It's just like you  
It's just like me  
It's just like you  
It's just like me  
It's just like you_

 _It's just like me  
It's just like me  
It's just like me  
It's just like me  
It's just like me  
It's just like me  
It's just like me  
It's just like me_

 

 **Song: "Just Like Me" by Pat Benatar**


	32. RSVP

_I got an invitation for you  
A little temptation for you  
A night in your honor  
A secret rendezvous_

Ziva David sighed and closed her eyes as she rested her head on the arm of the couch. Earlier she'd sneaked an invitation to Tony, knowing he couldn't resist. She had a little temptation planned for him, a night in his honor, per say. Others might call it a secret rendezvous.

 _I can almost see your face at my door  
I don't want to have to wait anymore  
I know my offer might be long overdue_

The probie could almost see his face at her door. She didn't want to have to wait anymore. Ziva knew her offer might be long overdue.

 _RSVP  
It's a private affair  
I just won't believe that you don't care  
RSVP  
Only you and me  
I'll be waiting till you answer me_

After all, it was a . . . private . . . affair. Ziva just wouldn't believe that Tony didn't care. She could tell he did by the look in his eyes—and of course the fact that they were always flirting with each other. It would be just the two of them, and she would be waiting till he answered her.

 _Please don't hesitate I'm waiting for you  
You can't have nothing more important to do  
Deep in the nighttime  
Hear me talk to you_

The door to her apartment swung open after she answered whoever knocked. To her great disappointment, it wasn't DiNozzo.

"Hello, ma'am, would you like to buy—"

She abruptly punched him in the gut and slammed the door in his face. Ziva turned back to the couch and muttered, "I _hate_ being called ma'am."

For about the millionth time that night, her thoughts turned to her partner. _Please don't hesitate,_ she thought. _I'm waiting for you._ After all, it wasn't like he had anything more important to do.

When her cell phone rang, Ziva wasn't at all surprised to see it was Tony. "Yes?"

"Hey, Ziva. I'm sorry, but—"

"You can't have nothing more important to do," she protested. _Deep in the nighttime, hear me talk to you._

He sighed. "I'll try to be there ASAP, okay?"

"Fine by me," Ziva replied before the call was disconnected. An idiotic smile twitched at her lips. Abby would love hearing about this, but knowing her, she would find out sometime. It was a private affair, and no one could keep a secret around Gibbs for long.

 _RSVP  
It's a private affair  
I just won't believe that you don't care  
RSVP  
Only you and me  
I'll be waiting till you answer me_

 _RSVP  
It's a private affair  
I just won't believe that you don't care  
RSVP  
Only you and me  
I'll be waiting till you answer me_

 

 **Song: "RSVP" by Heart**


	33. Crazy on You

_If we still have time we might still get by  
Every time I think about it I wanna cry  
With bombs and the devil, and little kids keep coming  
No way to breathe easy, no time to be young_

Shannon Gibbs glanced at her reflection in the mirror, her gaze falling on a photo on her dresser. She picked up the photo—one showing her, Jethro, and their daughter, Kelly. Right now Gibbs was deployed overseas, fighting at Desert Storm. Every time she thought about the war, she wanted to cry. What with bombs and the devil, and little kids kept coming, there was no way to breathe easy, no time to be young.

 _But I tell myself that I was doing all right  
There's nothing left to do at night  
But to go crazy on you  
Crazy on you  
Let me go crazy, crazy on you, oh_

Shannon told herself silently that she was doing all right. It was only another day before her husband would be on leave—would be coming home. Then there was nothing left to do at night but for them to go crazy on each other—if they would let each other, of course.

"Hey, Mom."

Kelly's voice made Shannon look over at her eight-year-old daughter. She forced a smile and said, "Yes, sweetheart?"

"I'll be outside if you need me." The tiny redhead was gone before her mom could so much as call, "Be careful!"

Leroy Jethro Gibbs's wife shook her head and went back to daydreaming.

 _My love is the evenin' breeze touchin' your skin  
The gentle sweet singin' of leaves in the wind  
The whisper that calls after you in the night  
And kisses your ear in the early moonlight  
And you don't need to wonder, you're doing fine  
My love, the pleasure's mine_

 _Let me go crazy on ya  
Crazy on you  
Let me go crazy, crazy on you, ohhh_

Twenty-four hours later, the Marine sniper arrived home and found himself being practically knocked off his feet as Kelly barreled into him, hugging Jethro as if she never planned to let go. The little redhead whispered, "I missed you, Daddy. Don't leave again."

Instead of answering, her father looked past her at Shannon. Her love was the evenin' breeze caressing his skin, the gentle, sweet singin' of leaves in the wind.

When Kelly was soundly asleep in her room, Jethro and Shannon were . . . _busy_. As before,Shannon (so to speak) was the whisper that called after him in the night and kissed his ear in the early moonlight.

"You don't need to wonder, you're doing fine," the redhead murmured. "My love, the pleasure's mine." _Just let me go crazy on you._

 _Wild man's world is crying in pain  
What you gonna do when everybody's insane  
So afraid of one who's so afraid of you  
What you gonna do . . . ohhh . . . _

_(Ah-ah-ah-ah)_

 _Ooooo . . . crazy on you  
Crazy on you  
Let me go crazy, crazy on you_

The world was crying in pain, it seemed, what with the war going on and all. What would they do when everybody's insane? When you were so afraid of one who's so afraid of you, what were you going to do? Shannon thought of all of this even as she curled up against her husband. She supposed she could . . . for lack of a better term . . . go crazy on him. After all, they—as humans in general—could go wild with passion. Thinking of all this brought the dream she'd had last night to the front of Shannon's mind before she fell asleep, eyes heavy with fatigue.

 _I was a willow last night in my dream  
I bent down over a clear running stream  
Sang you the song that I heard up above  
And you kept me alive with your sweet flowing love_

 _Crazy  
Yeah, crazy on ya  
Let me go crazy, crazy on you, oh  
Crazy on ya  
Crazy on you  
Let me go crazy, crazy on you, oh_

 _(Ah-ah-ah-ah)_

 _Crazy on ya  
Crazy on you  
Let me go crazy, crazy on you, oh . . ._

 

 **Song: "Crazy on You" by Heart**


	34. Little Too Late

Once again, the very special NCIS agents on Team Gibbs were having some rare down time, and Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David looked ready to commit murder. McGee, the Bossman himself, and Abby looked on in concern as Ziva snarled, "I can't believe you went on an undercover assignment without telling the team—without telling me!"

Her partner opened his mouth for a furious retort but was interrupted by music spouting from McGee's computer as it had two times before.

"Talk about dèĵa vu," Tony muttered, drawing chuckles from Ziva. They both shut up at a warning glare from Gibbs as the artist began singing.

 _I hear you had a good offer down on, Third Avenue  
You tell me that was the reason  
For whatcha' put me through, yeah  
And now you come collapsin' back  
I feel the heat of your attack  
Want me to take you back  
I'm givin' you the sack  
So don't waste your time_

 _It's a little too little  
It's a little too late  
I'm a little too hurt  
And there's nothin' left that I've gotta say  
You can cry to me baby  
But there's only so much I can take  
Oh, it's a little too little  
It's a little too late_

If the two quarreling partners hadn't shut up with the infamous Gibbs Glare at the beginning of the song, they would have now. As it was, their jaws practically dropped to the floor. Finally, Ziva sputtered, "I am _not_! I do _not_ want him back! We were never going out!"

Tony was likewise speechless, yet he was smart enough to realize this song was in Ziva's point of view.

 _You say you had a good time  
But did ya' think it was for free, yeah  
And how much did it get ya', all their flattery  
And now you come back, runnin' for protection  
You've been bitten by love and stung by rejection  
You can't connect  
What did you expect  
I'm still getting over you_

 _It's a little too little  
It's a little too late  
I'm a little too hurt  
And there's nothin' left that I've gotta say  
You can cry to me baby  
But there's only so much I can take  
Oh, it's a little too little  
It's a little too late_

 _It's a little too little  
It's a little too late  
I'm a little too hurt  
And there's nothin' left that I've gotta say  
Well you can cry to me baby  
But there's only so much, only so much I can take  
Oh, it's a little too little  
It's a little too late_

 _It's a little too little  
It's a little too late  
I'm a little too hurt  
And there's nothin' left that I've gotta say  
Well you can cry to me baby  
'Cause there's only so much, only so much I can take  
Oh, it's a little too little  
It's a little too little  
It's a little too little  
It's a little too late_

Both Ziva and Tony stood shell-shocked for a moment. After making a speedy recovery, they swung their heads towards the person responsible. The senior field agent growled, "Probie," while the team's Mossad liaison exclaimed, "McGee, that is the last time you try to help us out with our relationship! We are not—"

"I beg to differ," Abby interrupted, a smirk tugging on her lips. It faded quickly when all four of them were snacked upside the head. Shocked, she cried, "GIBBS!"

He looked up innocently. "What?"

 

 **Song: "Little Too Late" by Pat Benatar**


	35. Looking For A Stranger

_I had it with the same old routine  
I had it with the same old faces, places  
Every night, in my life  
I started feeling washed up, washed out  
Hung up, wrung out, left to dry out  
Every night_

Abby scooted her stool back from the bar and walked out of the building into the cool night. She'd had it with the same old routine and the same old faces, places every night in her life. Recently she had started feeling washed up, washed out, hung up, wrung out, left to dry out every night.

 _But I know  
Yeah, I know you're out there somewhere  
Oh, I, I can almost hear you callin'  
I'm looking for a stranger in the night  
I need a little danger in my life, tonight_

But the Goth knew that the right guy for her was somewhere out there. She was looking for a stranger, needed a little danger in her life tonight.

Her lips lifted in a wry smile. She certainly had enough of that working in her lab at NCIS. And McGee . . . enough said.

Abby could almost hear him calling after her, like a gentle, sweet, singin' of leaves in the wind.

 _I'm tired of the same old—  
Hello baby, how ya'; doin'?, come here often  
Where have you been all my life  
Every night_

The Goth was tired of guys trying to pick her up every night—and she wasn't even a hustler! Honestly, it was boring hearing the same old pick-up lines every night.

As if on cue, some guy came trotting up eagerly, probably thinking he was going to get lucky. "Hello, baby, how ya' doin'?"

"Go away," Abby said in a bored voice, starting to walk off.

Annoyingly, he stayed on her three. "You come here often?"

"Go away."

He obviously didn't pick up on the memo, since he tried one more time: "Where have you been all my life?"

"Shut up and leave me alone. I can and will murder you and leave _no_ forensic evidence."

 _That_ got the message across.

 _But I know  
That someday, somewhere  
I'll turn around and you'll be there  
Ooo . . . in my life  
Every night_

 _And I know  
Yeah, I know you're out there somewhere  
Oh, I, I can almost hear you callin'  
I'm looking for a stranger in the night  
I need a little danger in my life, tonight_

Again, Abby knew that someday, somewhere, she'd turn around and McGee would be there in her life since he was currently in Canada at the moment. She also knew he'd be there for her whenever she needed him and vice versa.

For now, though, the NCIS forensic scientist needed a little danger in the night. Most of all, though, she needed to catch up on sleep. Abby hated appearing in court, yet she had to comply when the judge ordered her there.

 _And I know  
Yeah, I know you're out there somewhere  
Oooh, I, I can almost hear you callin'  
I'm looking for a stranger in the night  
I need a little danger in my life, tonight_

 _I'm looking for a stranger in the night  
I need a little danger in my life, tonight_

 

 **Song: "Looking For a Stranger" by Pat Benatar**


	36. Secret

_We lead two different lives  
Just like two lines that never cross  
And here we are together  
Standing closer than we are  
But we're still standing here untouched  
Too scared to make a move  
We want so much to touch  
And we can't wait forever  
We know it's dangerous  
For us to be together_

NCIS Probationary Special Agent Ziva David glanced over at her partner, Tony DiNozzo. The team was at their latest crime scene, and as crime scenes go, it was quite clean. Of course, that meant there wasn't a whole lot of physical evidence. Besides, it was almost eight at night, and all she wanted was to be at home . . . in bed . . . with her _partner_. . . .

They lead two different lives when they first met. She had been a Mossad officer assigned to the team and originally there to stop Gibbs from killing her half-brother, Ari. Of course, Tony had been his usual wise-cracking, movie-quoting self. But now, they were standing closer than they should be. Ziva was too scared to move, especially since they were with Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, and a dead body. She could tell DiNozzo wanted to touch her as much as she wanted to hold him. They couldn't wait forever. Still, both the probie and the senior field agent knew it was dangerous for them to be together.

 _How do we ever keep this secret  
How do we keep it in the dark  
And if we dare to taste our weakness  
How could we tear ourselves apart  
Why do we keep this love together  
Didn't we know right from the start  
That we would have to keep this secret  
Or forever stay apart_

Later that night, the team was finally cut loose from the crime scene, and Tony and Ziva headed straight to her apartment. Lying in bed after rigorous physical activities, Ziva glanced over at her co-worker and lover and wondered, How do we ever keep this secret? How do we keep it in the dark? If they dared to taste their weakness, how could the two NCIS agents tear themselves apart?

Tony shifted closer to her—in sleep, of course—and draped an arm over her waist. Ziva let it lie there as she finally drifted into sleep. Her last thought was, _Why do we keep this love together?_

 _I watch you coming to me  
Walking in the pouring rain  
I can't help looking at you  
Wishing I could stay away  
So many times I've tried in vain  
To close my eyes and pray it goes away  
But I can't stop myself from feeling  
To let you go would be too much  
For me to take_

The next morning, they were back at the crime scene, scanning it for any more evidence, and rain was coming down hard. Gibbs had sent DiNozzo to buy him a fresh cup of coffee, and Ziva hoped he would be back soon.

The sound of footsteps in the rain forced her to look up. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Tony walking towards her, soaked through with rain. Ziva couldn't tear her gaze away, but she wished she could stay away from him. He'd haunted her dreams for as long as she knew him, which was to say six years now. So many times Ziva had tried in vain to close her eyes and pray her feelings for Tony would go away, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling that would be too much for her to take.

 _How do we ever keep this secret  
How do we keep it in the dark  
And if we dare to taste our weakness  
How could we tear ourselves apart  
Why do we keep this love together  
Didn't we know right from the start  
That we would have to keep this secret  
Or forever stay apart_

Once again, Ziva found herself wondering how she and Tony would keep their secret and keep the fact they were lovers in the dark. Why did they keep this love together? Didn't the two of them know that they would have to keep this secret or forever stay apart?

 _Ooo, I can't help thinking  
When I look into your eyes  
How much I need you  
It's so hard to hide_

Tony handed Gibbs his new coffee and turned in Ziva's direction, his eyes holding hers. She couldn't help thinking how much she needed him. It was so hard to hide in front of Gibbs and McGee, but she managed when all she wanted was to pounce and take them both to the floor. However, since their love was forbidden in Gibbs' eyes, she couldn't.

Ziva hated Rule Twelve.

 _How do we ever keep this secret  
How do we keep it in the dark  
And if we dare to taste our weakness  
How could we tear ourselves apart  
How do we keep this love together  
Didn't we know right from the start  
That we would have to keep this secret  
Or forever stay apart_

 

 **Song: "Secret" by Heart**


	37. Sex As A Weapon

_You really do know how to strut that stuff (strut that stuff)  
You really do know how to act tough (act tough)  
Your body's just like a centerfold (a centerfold)  
A fantasy (fantasy) anyone would want to hold_

Team Gibbs was doing some late-night paperwork, and Ziva found she kept looking up from her desk to across the bullpen at her partner, Tony. His gaze caught hers, and she quickly looked away, cheeks flushing.

As Tony rose and started heading out, Ziva followed him with her eyes. He really knew how to strut that stuff and act tough when he needed to. She thought, Your body's just like a centerfold, a fantasy anyone would want to hold.

Especially if that person was her.

 _Stop using sex as a weapon  
Stop using sex as a weapon  
You know you're already my obsession  
Stop (stop) using sex as a weapon  
Love is more than a one way reflection  
Stop (stop) using sex as a weapon_

Ziva fervently hoped he didn't have a date tonight—if it could be called a date. Tony's dates were better referred to as one-night stands. The Mossad liaison wanted to tell him to stop using sex as a weapon, but he already knew he was her obsession. She stood up and followed Tony out of the pen. She was done with her report anyway.

He seemed to sense her presence, since he stopped and turned around. "What, Ziva?" he asked, a slight smile on his face.

 _With looks that kill and a mind that's twisted (twisted)  
I don't know why I can't resist it (resist it)  
I tell myself to look the other way (other way)  
When you want me to (when you want me to)  
I, I already stay_

For a few moments, she didn't know what to say. "Nothing"? "Don't go out tonight"? "Make love to me"? Any of those would have done, although Ziva quite liked the last two combined. Besides, he had looks that killed and a twisted mind. What wasn't there to like?

Finally she forced out a, "Have a good night, Tony." God, she couldn't resist him. Ziva told herself to look the other way as his eyes lingered on her face, nose, lips. She knew that if he wanted her to, she'd already stay.

 _Stop using sex as a weapon  
Stop using sex as a weapon  
You know you're already my obsession  
Stop (stop) using sex as a weapon  
Love is more than a one way reflection  
Stop (stop) using sex as a weapon_

If possible, his smile grew smaller. "That's not all you want, is it, Ziva?"

"No." The word slipped out before she could stop it. So did the next few sentences. "Tony, you know you're already my obsession. Just remember that love is more than a one way reflection. I guess what I'm trying to say is to stop using sex as a weapon."

He was dumbfounded, and she wasn't even finished yet.

 _You play with desire like it was a toy (toy)  
How much affection can you destroy  
You wrap my heart around your little finger  
Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex as a weapon_

Ziva continued, "You play with desire like it was a toy. How much affection can you destroy?" What she didn't say out loud was that Tony wrapped her heart around his little finger.

 _Stop using sex as a weapon  
Stop using sex_

 _Stop using sex as a weapon  
Stop using sex as a weapon  
You know you're already my obsession  
Stop (stop) using sex as a weapon  
Love is more than a one way reflection  
Stop (stop) using sex as a weapon_

Now DiNozzo was rendered completely speechless. That actually could be considered something of a miracle, since the senior field agent usually never shut up. Ziva hoped he was hearing what she was saying.

Tony stood there for a few heartbeats before regaining motor skills. He turned and walked off, leaving Ziva staring after him.

 _Stop (stop) using sex as a weapon  
Stop using sex as a weapon  
Stop using sex  
Stop using sex as a weapon  
Stop using sex (stop using sex, stop using sex)  
Sex as a weapon, as a weapon_

 

 **Song: "Sex As A Weapon" by Pat Benatar.**

 **Personally, I don't think this is my best one. Besides, the song is kinda difficult to work with.**


	38. Shadows of the Night

_We're running with the shadows of the night  
So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end_

Shadows flickered at the edge of Ziva's peripheral vision as she raced through the night with Tony at her side. The former Mossad liaison silently pleaded, _Baby, take my hand, it'll be all right._ If he surrendered his dreams to her tonight, they'd come true in the end.

Now, as to _why_ they were running. For once, they weren't pursuing a suspect. Nope, they were just running for the heck of it.

 _You said—oh, girl it's a cold world  
When you keep it all to yourself  
I said you can't hide on the inside  
All the pain you've ever felt  
Ransom my heart but baby don't look back  
'Cause we got nobody else_

Panting, DiNozzo slowed down, forcing Ziva to do the same. Finally they both stopped.

"Oh, girl, it's a cold world when you keep it all to yourself."

Startled, Ziva glanced at her partner. Was he talking about her hidden feelings for him? She quickly banished the thought and shot back, "Well, you can't hide on the inside all the pain you've ever felt." Softening the brusque comeback, the probationary agent added, "Ransom my heart but baby don't look back 'cause we got nobody else." Screw proper grammar.

Something behind the two NCIS agents let out a victorious growl as it slunk closer, sending them running again.

 _We're running with the shadows of the night  
So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end_

As they ran with the shadows of the night, Ziva's hand slipped into Tony's. She thought, _Surrender all your dreams to me tonight. They'll come true in the end._

Finally she had to slow. They couldn't keep up this fast pace for too long. Before stopping, she pulled Tony with her into a side street.

 _You know that sometimes it feels like  
It's all moving way too fast  
Use every alibi and words you deny  
That love ain't meant to last  
You can cry tough baby it's all right  
You can let me down easy but not tonight_

Both of them knew that sometimes it felt like events were moving way too fast. Tony and Ziva could use every alibi and words they'd deny that love wasn't meant to last.

With a slight shock, she noticed her partner's cheeks were wet. Ziva consoled him, "You can cry, tough baby, it's all right."

Since when would you say something like that?"

Ignoring the jab, she continued, "You can let me down easy, but not tonight."

"You've been listening to Pat Benatar, haven't you?"

 _We're running with the shadows of the night  
So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end_

 _We're running with the shadows of the night  
So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end_

 _And now the hands of time are standin' still  
Midnight angel won't you say you will_

"Well, yes," Ziva admitted. "But come on! We're running with the shadows of the night, so take my hand and it'll be all right."

It seemed the hands of time were standin' still as he studied her. Ziva thought, _Midnight angel, say you will, you want me too._

Tony stiffened as he heard something behind them. He grabbed her hand . . . and they were on the run again through the shadows of the night.

 _We're running with the shadows of the night  
So baby take my hand it'll be all right  
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight  
They'll come true in the end_

 

 **Song: "Shadows of the Night" by Pat Benatar**


	39. Shell Shock

_I can snap my fingers and get quick results  
I can wink my eyes and melt their little hearts_

 _Something hit me brought me to my knees  
Something bit me—no remedies_

It was a warm, sunny day in Washington,D.C., and Ziva was pacing in the bullpen waiting for the rest of the team to return from their various errands.

She could usually snap her fingers and receive quick results. The Mossad liaison could also wink her eyes and melt their little hearts. It wasn't that hard either, considering how good she looked.

Recently, though, something unseen had hit her with such force that it brought the Israeli to her knees. It also bit her—and there were no remedies.

 _You came out shooting—you left me stunned  
I know I'm losing it look what you have done_

The elevator doors opened and Special Agent Tony DiNozzo stumbled into the squad room, almost spilling his drink and sending his jelly doughnut flying out of his hand. He straightened up quickly and kept on walking as if nothing had happened.

This little encounter left Ziva stunned. She knew she was losing it. _Look what you've done to me, Tony._

 _Shell shock Shell shock  
You got me in a love lock  
Shell shock Shell shock  
I can't escape it no I can't shake it_

Apparently, she was shell shocked. DiNozzo had Ziva in a figurative love lock that she couldn't escape from or shake off.

Of course, as luck would have it, right as Tony made it into the bullpen, the lights blacked out.

 _You crept up behind me  
A rival to my heart  
Hit me with your charms baby  
Caught me in the dark_

 _You made me like a bandit—made yourself a hero  
I couldn't stand it—my willpower zero_

Even though it was dark, she could sense Tony creeping up behind her, a rival to her heart, so to speak.

"You think this is a power surge?" he asked, breath warm against her neck.

Needless to say, he hit her with his regular DiNozzo charm and caught her in the dark.

Suddenly he tensed and whispered, "Down! Now!" Before Ziva could protest or ask why, he pushed her to the ground seconds before a knife came through the air.

She couldn't stand that he was treating her like this, but with him on top of her, all her willpower left her.

 _You came out shooting—you left me stunned  
I know I'm losing it, look what you have done_

 _Shell shock Shell shock  
You got me in a love lock  
Shell shock Shell shock  
I can't escape it no I can't shake it  
But I like it I like it a lot  
I like it—I like I a lot  
Shell shock Shell shock_

She lay there momentarily stunned. Finding her voice, the Israeli accused, "Tony, I know I'm losing it; look what you have done."

"What—?"

Luckily, the lights came back on. Tony scrambled off Ziva before anyone could see them in what looked like an intimate position. Gibbs and McGee also arrived, leaving Ziva to her own thoughts.

She couldn't escape the love lock he had on her or shake it off, but Ziva found she liked it—a lot.

 _Something hit me brought me to my knees  
Something bit me—no remedies_

You came out shooting—you left me stunned  
I know I'm losing it, look what you have done

Shell shock Shell shock  
Shell shock Shell shock  
Shell shock Shell shock  
Shell shock Shell shock

 

 **Song: "Shell Shock" by Heart**


	40. Addicted to Love

**Rating: T, borderline M, given to the nature of the song and how I interperted it. There are also allusions to a couple of Heart songs, if you can find them.**

 

 _Your lights are on, but you're not home  
Your mind is not your own  
Your heart sweats, your body shakes  
Another kiss is what it takes_

Ziva stared in a kind of shocked silence at the person standing in her doorway. It had been a month since Gibbs had gone down to Mexico with Mike Franks after the incident that left him in a coma. Since then, Tony had taken over as the team leader, and that was who she was looking at now.

Sure, her body was functioning normally and her lights were on, but the Mossad liaison officer wasn't entirely home.

"Ziva, are you going to let me in or leave me out to roam the night?" Tony asked, a small smirk on his face.

She stepped back and let him in, studying his profile, his face. Those clear, green eyes, dark brown hair, full mouth . . . Ziva shook her head slightly to clear it; her mind was not her own tonight.

DiNozzo stepped closer to her, worry in his eyes. "Zi, are you okay?"

She wasn't. His closeness was doing something to her: her heart was sweating and her body started shaking. If he kissed her, that would be all it would take to send her over the edge. Ziva started to tell him she wasn't okay, but her mouth and body betrayed her. She murmured, "Kiss me," even as she lowered his mouth to hers.

The responding jolt to her system informed her that—as much as she tried to deny it—she needed so much more.

 _You can't sleep, you can't eat  
There's no doubt, you're in deep  
Your throat is tight, you can't breathe  
Another kiss is all you need_

After that encounter, Ziva found she couldn't sleep or eat. She had no doubt she was in deep—but to what, exactly, she wasn't sure.

Or maybe she was. Whenever Tony was around, her throat grew tight and she couldn't breathe.

"Hey, Ziva." Snapping fingers made her aware that Tony was talking to her. Her eyes moving around, she remembered that they were at work, and she became aware of the fact that McGee and Michelle Lee were watching her.

"Yeah?" she managed, forcing herself not to stare at him. There was no way what she felt for him was what she thought it was, but all she needed from him was another kiss.

Tony said, "It's late. Were you planning on staying here on gong home?" Obviously, he was trying for a joke.

Her throat constricted, but she forced out, "Very funny. If you must know, I was going home."

"Mind if I drive you?"

God, these emotions were such a nuisance. It would be a miracle if she made it home without jumping him.

All she wanted was one kiss, so she could satisfy herself. That was it. It would be the last time, she promised herself.

 _Whoa, you like to think you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah  
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough  
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to love_

Ziva David might like to think she was immune to whatever was raging through her, but it was closer to the truth to say she couldn't get enough of Tony DiNozzo, who was now her team leader. Excitement and desire zinged her nerves as they entered her apartment. She knew she was going to have to face it eventually, but now all she wanted was her partner (and boss, in recent weeks).

 _You see the signs, you can't read  
You're runnin' at a different speed  
Your heart beats in double time  
Another kiss and you'll be mine, a one track mind_

Tony knew Ziva saw the signs, but she could not read what they meant. She was runnin' at a different speed, as if she was high on something. He could feel her heart beating in double time, pressed up as she was against him, her mouth hot and greedy. Tony sensed that with another kiss she would be his.

He always did have a one track mind, and he found he just couldn't stop kissing her. _And all this with our clothes on_ , he thought.

 _You can't be saved  
Oblivion is all you crave  
If there's some left for you  
You don't mind if you do_

She couldn't be saved. Ziva knew that as she began nudging him in the direction of her bedroom; oblivion was all she craved.

It seemed as if they couldn't shed their clothes quickly enough, but it didn't matter, since they were soon on her bed making love. Needless to say, he brought the woman out of her, so many times, easily.

While they were both trying to fall asleep, Ziva found she couldn't. She didn't mind helping herself to him, kissing his lips first, then throat, until she'd quenched her thirst.

Of course, she was still saying this was entirely a physical reaction.

 _Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah  
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough  
You might as well face it, you're addicted to love_

 _Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love_

While the Israeli liked to think she was immune to the effect Tony had on her, it was closer—much closer—to the truth to say she couldn't have enough. She knew she was going to have to face it, so she might was well now, lying in bed: the big, bad Mossad assassin was addicted to love.

 _Your lights are on, but you're not home  
Your will is not your own  
Your heart sweats, your teeth grind  
Another kiss and you'll be mine_

Thoroughly sedated, Ziva's metaphorical lights were on but her mind was elsewhere. Even tonight, her will was not her own.

As if on perfect timing, DiNozzo rolled over until he was sprawled partly over her. Immediately her heart started beating faster until it was almost sweating. The Israeli's teeth ground together as she had to bite back a moan of pleasure, thoroughly enjoying what he was doing to her. He was her obsession, her addiction, her drug. With another kiss, she would be his.

 _Will you be there in the morning?_ she thought.

It was her last coherent thought as they began another round of lovemaking.

The best part was there was no Rule Twelve.

 _Whoa, you like to think that you're immune to the stuff, oh yeah  
It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough  
You know you're gonna have to face it, you're addicted to love_

 _Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love  
Might as well face it, you're addicted to love_

 

 **Song: "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer**


	41. I Need A Lover

**A/N: The first case in this songfic is inspired by the one in the _21 Jump Street_ episode "Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light." No copyright infrigment intended.**

 

NCIS (Very) Special Agent Tony DiNozzo leaned against the façade of the building, eyeing some of the broads passing by on the dark streets. He hated his current assignment: he, Ziva, and McGee (gag) were on the streets working undercover as hustlers. Honestly, he could see why anyone would want himself or Ziva, but _McGeek_?

Although really, this assignment wasn't too different from what he considered a date—and he had a new one, it seemed, almost every other week.

Recently, Tony had been searching for something different.

 _I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
I need a lover that won't drive me mad  
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy_

The senior field agent forced his thoughts back to the case. They were there because a naval officer who had a side job as a hustler was assaulted and left for dead. She'd died of her injuries a few hours later. However, it was hard to concentrate when Ziva was so close.

He needed a lover that wouldn't drive him crazy or mad. Well, not many fit that bill, now, did they?

Off the top of his head, Tony could think of only one person who matched what he was looking for.

 _I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
Someone to thrill me and then go away  
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
Someone that knows the meaning of ah, hey hit the highway_

Much as Tony hated to admit it, he needed a lover that wouldn't drive him crazy—someone to thrill him and then go away, as well as someone who knew the meaning of "hit the highway."

 _Well I've been walking the streets in the evening  
Racing through this human jungle at night  
I'm so confused, my mind is indifferent  
Hey I'm so weak, won't someone shut out that light_

Feeling restless all of a sudden, Tony started pacing, walking the streets. He ignored the irritated looks from some of the other hustlers and kept going through this human jungle at night, eyes searching for a black BMW with tinted windows.

The movie buff was so confused by his feelings toward Ziva, but his mind was indifferent. Suddenly the streetlights bothered him. _Hey, won't somebody shut out that light?_

 _Electricity runs through the video  
And I watch from this hole I call home  
And all the stonies that are dancin' to the radio  
I got the world calling me tonight on my phone_

A few days later, they had closed the case with Ziva busting the perp after he picked her up, and Tony was spending the night at home watching a James Bond movie.

Of course, right as the movie reached his favorite scene, his cell phone decided to interrupt.

"Tony," Ziva said over the phone without waiting for him to answer, "we have a new case. Meet us by the Lincoln Memorial."

She hung up before he could so much as say hi." Tony sighed, grabbed his coat, gun, and shield, and headed out.

 _I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
I need a lover that won't drive me mad  
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
Someone with the meaning of ah, hey hit the highway_

Well, at least he wasn't seeing anyone, DiNozzo thought wryly. Even so, an image of Ziva crossed his mind. She seemed to be what he needed: a lover who wouldn't drive him crazy or mad—someone who knew the meaning of hitting the highway.

Not that he could see Ziva doing that.

 _Well I'm not wiped out by this poolroom life I'm livin'  
But I'm gonna quit my job and go to school and head back home  
Now I'm not asking to be loved or be forgiven  
Hey I just can't face shakin' in this bedroom one more night alone_

At least he wasn't wiped out by his job yet, Tony thought before opening his eyes to find himself in his bedroom—alone. DiNozzo found he couldn't spend one more night alone. He also wasn't asking to be loved or be forgiven, and yet . . .

 _I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
I need a lover that won't drive me mad  
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
Someone that knows the meaning of ah, hey hit the highway_

 _I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
I need a lover that won't drive me mad  
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy_

 _I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
I need a lover that won't drive me mad  
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy  
Someone that knows the meaning of ah, hey hit the highway_

 

 **Song: "I Need A Lover" by John "Cougar" Mellencamp (It was covered by Pat Benatar on her debut album _In The Heat Of The Night_ )**


	42. It's A Tuff Life

**AU**

 **A/N: For those of you who don't know, the word tuff is slang for "cool" or "sharp," like a tuff car, or, in this case, tuff life. If you wanna know where I got the definition, look it up it _The Outsiders_ by S.E. Hinton.**

 _Isn't it a tuff life?  
You race your Mercedes Benz through the park after midnight  
Hopin' for a few cheap thrills  
There's always someone around to lift your spirits up  
All along just pumpin' up your attitude  
Don't believe a word they say  
'Cause it's never true_

Trees flashed by at top speed as Tony gunned the engine, hoping to pull ahead of the other car. They were racing through the city park—and it was past midnight. Not that DiNozzo minded—he was hopin' for a few cheap thrills. His Mustang edged ahead right as they reached the finish line.

After he climbed out, he was swarmed by a bunch of fellow eighteen-year-olds—his friends. Tony could always count on them to lift his spirits up.

What he didn't guess or know was that all along they were just pumping up his attitude.

"That was a close one!"

"Great race!"

A little voice in his head warned, _Don't believe a word they say. It's never true._

Why wouldn't he? He had a tuff life.

 _Isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life  
If you can't have it, then you don't want it  
You don't need no steady job  
Isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life_

Wasn't it a tuff life? Yet, if he couldn't have something, be it cars, girls, or, well, girls, he didn't want it. Tony also didn't need a steady job, thanks to his old man's money.

 _You thought you'd move to Jamaica  
So you packed up your bags and you headed South to get an even tan  
But, you didn't count on rain  
You were "perfect" for the script  
So you bought the best selling novel knowing that you couldn't miss  
But, you never got the part_

A couple of years later, he decided to move toJamaicato get an even tan. So he packed up his bags and headed south.

What he didn't count on was the rain.

When the company announced that the bestselling novel _Deep Six_ was going to be made into a movie, Tony immediately rushed out and bought a copy. He was perfect for the script and knew he couldn't miss the role of Agent Tommy.

But he never received the part.

 _Isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life  
If you can't have it, then you don't want it  
You don't need no steady job  
Isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life_

 _It don't get any easier  
And you know, sometimes it can get pretty ruff_

Wasn't it a tuff life? He didn't need a steady job, and if DiNozzo couldn't have something, he didn't want it anymore.

His life wasn't about to get any easier. He even knew it sometimes could get pretty ruff.

 _Well, isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life_

 _Isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life  
Isn't it a tuff life?  
You've got such a tuff life  
Isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life  
Isn't it a tuff life?  
You got a tuff life_

 

 **Song: "It's a Tuff Life" by Pat Benatar**

 **Thanks for everyone who's favorited/subscribed/reviewed this story. And, now, reviews, please?**


	43. Beat It

**Warning: contains a wildly OOC McGee. Enjoy!**

 _They told him don't you ever come around here  
Don't wanna see your face, you better disappear  
The fire's in their eyes and their words are very clear  
So beat it, just beat it_

Timothy McGee gulped and took a pace back from the menacing-looking gang members surrounding him. The leader said, "Don't you ever come around here. We don't wanna see your face; you better disappear."

The fire was in their eyes and their words were crystal clear. If McGee was smart, he'd beat it.

You better run, you better do what you can  
Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man  
You wanna be tough, better do what you can  
So beat it, but you wanna be bad

Alas, he didn't. He ignored the voice in his head that said, _You better run, you better do what you can. Don't wanna see no blood, so don't be a macho man._

McGee wanted to be tough—or at least act it. The voice was right: he should do what he could. Tim should beat it, yet he wanted to do something bad for once in his life.

 _Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky, strong it's your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right_

 _Just beat it, beat it, just beat it, beat it  
Just beat it, beat it, just beat it, beat it_

He obviously didn't possess an ounce of intelligence, since he stayed put. There was a voice urging him to just beat it. _No one wants to be defeated, McGee._

It didn't matter who was wrong or right.

 _They're out to get you, better leave while you can  
Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man  
You wanna stay alive, better do what you can  
So beat it, just beat it_

The gang closed in around him until there was almost no room to maneuver. McGee knew they were out to get him; he'd better leave while he still had the chance. Yet, he didn't want to be a boy; he wanted to prove he was a tough guy. At the same time, he wanted to stay alive.

What was he even _doing_ , looking to be ganged up in the first place? Oh, right, it was an undercover mission.

 _You have to show them that you're really not scared  
You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare  
They'll kick you, then they beat you, then they'll tell you it's fair  
So beat it, but you wanna be bad_

The probie knew he had to show them he really wasn't scared. However, if he didn't get in, he was playing with his life. This wasn't a game of Truth or Dare. He knew they'd kick him and beat him and then tell him it was fair. But he had to go through with it if he had any chance of getting inside the gang.

Decisions, decisions. . . .

 _Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky, strong it's your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right_

 _Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky, strong it's your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right_

 _Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it_

 _Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky, strong it's your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right_

 _Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky, strong it's your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right _

_Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky, strong it's your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right _

_Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky, strong it's your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right_

 **Song: "Beat It" by Michael Jackson**


	44. Billie Jean

**DocRoesgirl, I hope you're satisfied. And besides, _only_ something like _this_ could happen to DiNozzo. =D On top of that, just think of it as "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" from the guy's point of view. xD Enjoy!**

 _She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene  
I said don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round  
She said I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round_   


Tony vaguely wondered what he was doing here at the bar, but dismissed it as he downed another shot and glanced around. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull as a beautiful blonde woman appeared beside him. She looked like she should be in a movie or something.

"Do you want to dance?"

DiNozzo took a while to form coherent thoughts. Finally, he said, "Sure, I don't mind."

She smiled and replied, "I can't wait," as she took his hand and led him to the dance floor, where a slow song was playing.

 _She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene  
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one  
Who will dance on the floor in the round_

After a few more songs went by, Tony decided to introduce himself. "I'm Tony. What's your name?"

"Billie Jean," she answered, even as she looked around with her eyes, inviting the guys to come over. It wasn't that hard; all eyes were on her anyway. Tony had the feeling they all wanted to be the one who would dance on the floor in the round. "Come on," he muttered, bringing Billie Jean out to his Mustang.

 _People always told me be careful of what you do  
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts  
And mother always told me be careful of who you love  
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth_

His co-workers at NCIS kept telling him to be careful of his activities outside of work. Ziva especially told him not to go around breaking women's hearts—or maybe that was his father. Even his own mother had told him to be careful who he loved. If he wasn't careful of his actions, then the lies became the truth.

Like they did with Jeanne.

 _Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one  
But the kid is not my son  
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son_

Months later, Tony received a huge shock. Billie Jean showed up at NCIS—which he thought was odd, considering he'd never told her where he worked—with a 5-month old in her arms.

"DiNozzo!" she growled, brown eyes flashing as she stormed up to his desk.

Tony flinched, _so_ wanting to have to deal with this.

Ziva, thank God, noticed and immediately slid between them. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked.

In response, the blonde thrust her child into the Israeli-American's arms. "What do you think? He's"—she pinted to Tony—"the father of my child."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other in shock. "Say _what_?"

 _For forty days and for forty nights  
The law was on her side  
But who can stand when she's in demand  
Her schemes and plans  
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round  
So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice  
(Do think twice)_

Forty days and nights went by with the law on Billie Jean's side. Of course, Tony was still denying the kid was his, but who could stand up to her when she was in demand, what with her evil schemes and plans.

It was all because they'd spent one night together, "dancing on the floor in the round." Next time, DiNozzo would remember to always think twice.

At least his partner and best friend was there to help him through this.

 _She told my baby we'd danced till three, then she looked at me  
Then showed a photo my baby cried his eyes were like mine (oh, no!)  
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round, baby_

DiNozzo wasn't really sure now why he'd come over to her place, especially over the trouble she'd been causing. All he had eyes for was the kid, hoping that it wasn't his.

His hopes were dashed when Billie Jean fondly told her son that they'd danced 'till three and then flashed a meaningful look at Tony. When she showed both of them a photo, the boy gave a little gasp. Tony just stared in shock, eyes flickering to the picture, then his reflection in the hallway mirror: The kid's eyes were Tony's own.

 _Oh, crap._

 _People always told me be careful of what you do  
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts  
She came and stood right by me  
Then the smell of sweet perfume  
This happened much too soon  
She called me to her room_

She set her kid down in the living room then walked further down the hallway, motioning for DiNozzo to follow her.

Too bad he never followed other people's advice, especially when they told him to be careful of what he did. All of a sudden, he realized she was much too close to him, her sweet perfume wreathing around him.

He slammed his eyes shut, trying desperately to keep control. This was happening way too soon.

It only became worse when she called him to her room.

 _Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one  
But the kid is not my son_

 _Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one  
But the kid is not my son  
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son_

 _She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son  
Billie Jean is not my lover  
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one  
But the kid is not my son  
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son_

 _She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son  
She says I am the one..._

 _Billie Jean is not my lover  
Billie Jean is not my lover  
Billie Jean is not my lover  
Billie Jean is not my lover  
Billie Jean is not my lover..._

 **  
Song: "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson  
**


	45. Stranded

_Standing here helpless  
Where do I go  
If you leave me alone  
Where do I turn now  
If it don't work out  
As far as I can see  
This isn't the way  
That you said it would be_

NCIS Special Agent Jennifer Sheppard stood facing a fellow agent, her partner and lover on the Paris undercover mission, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Anger, disappointment, and fear swirled inside her. Finally the redhead snapped and snarled, "I can't believe you're breaking it off!"

Jethro took a few steps back, eyes wary. "Jen, I'm sorry, but—"

She cut him off. "This isn't the way that you said it would be."

His ice-blue eyes were suddenly cold as he looked at her before turning away.

 _Don't leave me like this  
Don't leave me stranded  
If you walk away now  
You leave me empty handed  
Don't leave me like this  
Don't leave me stranded  
Don't leave me now  
Don't leave me_

Jen wanted to tell him not to leave her like this, leave her stranded. She'd be empty handed if he walked away now.

"Don't leave me," she whispered.

If Gibbs heard her, he didn't show it.

 _Wasn't it you  
Who brought me here  
To the place lovers go  
Just look at these arms  
Reaching out to you  
You said that you'd always care  
I just turned around  
And there's nobody there_

After all, it was him who brought her to the place lovers go—even if he said Jen was the one who was all over him.

The redhead pleaded silently, _Just look at these arms reaching out to you._

Jethro had said that he'd always care about her—love her—but when she turned around, he had disappeared.

 _Don't leave me like this  
Don't leave stranded  
If you walk away now  
You leave me empty handed  
Don't leave me like this  
Don't leave me stranded  
Don't leave me now_

She cursed him inside her head, thinking of every unprintable word under the sun. Jen couldn't believe that he'd just leave her, especially after all they'd been through together.

The worst part was, she knew he would stay away if he had to.

 _You said that you'd always care  
I just turned around and there's nobody there_

 _Don't leave me like  
Don't leave me like this  
Don't leave me stranded  
If you walk away now  
You leave me empty handed  
Don't leave me like this  
Don't leave me stranded stranded  
Don't leave me like this  
Don't leave me stranded  
Don't leave me like this_

 

 **Song: "Stranded" by Heart**


	46. Strangers of the Heart

_Through the mist on the harbor  
Dancing lights on the water  
Shadows move I see you smiling again  
When I reach out to touch you  
Like a ghost looking through me  
Sending chills deep into me  
Shattered dreams falling like teardrops again  
As you make me remember_

Mist shrouded the figure leaning on the rail overlooking the harbor. Lights danced across the water, made visible by the dark night. The quarter moon didn't hurt either.

Ziva David sighed and glanced up at the moon. When she lowered her gaze, she spotted shadows moving at the edge of her peripheral vision. Turning, she saw a very familiar face that was flashing an infamous grin. _But that can't be! He's gone—Agent Afloat_. That didn't stop her from reaching out to touch him, though, even though she was halfway convinced Tony being here was either a figment of her imagination or he was a ghost looking straight through her. Ziva was chilled all over.

Then he began walking towards her. Unbidden, shattered dreams flashed through her mind as he made her remember all the times they'd spent together.

When she blinked, he was gone. That made her even more convinced that she was imagining him being here with her.

 _Strangers of the heart  
Always safe with words unspoken  
Strangers of the heart  
Don't take chances they'll get broken  
No matter where you are  
Hear me tonight I don't want to be strangers at heart_

As long as she kept her feelings for him secret, Ziva would be safe. After all, strangers of the heart didn't take chances that would be broken, and yet she didn't _want_ to be strangers at heart with DiNozzo.

 _Screw Rule Twelve_ , she thought.

 _Broken glass of my mirror  
Makes my eyes see much clearer  
You and I only a whisper away  
Never telling each other_

 _Strangers of the heart  
Always safe with words unspoken  
Strangers of the heart  
Don't take chances they'll get broken  
No matter where you are  
Hear me tonight I don't want to be strangers at heart_

Ziva jumped when she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder and started awake. "I'm up, I'm up. What'd I miss?"

Tony looked at her strangely. "Nothing, Ziva. It's late, the case is closed, and you fell asleep. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah, right," she muttered noncommittally. Her brain felt as if it was swimming through molasses, she was so tired.

She stood up anyway and headed for the women's bathroom. Inside, she leaned on the counter, eyeing her reflection in the mirror. In a flash of anger, she pounded her fist against the glass. Her fist didn't break it, but it was close enough.

Looking at her reflection again, her eyes saw Tony lurking in the background. Ziva turned and faced him. She said nothing when he inched closer, not even when he was a whisper away.

He spoke first. "Ziva . . ."

She held a finger to his lips. "Tony, just hear me out. I don't want to be strangers at heart." She sighed and, at his puzzled expression, added, "Look, strangers of the heart—how do I put this?—don't take chances that they'll break."

"Like Rule Twelve."

"Right." She smiled a little. "Even though you've said multiple times that you won't date me."

"Well, it's not that I don't find you attractive—'cuz I do—but Rule Twelve is there for a reason." Tony's green eyes took on a thoughtful look. "Maybe it was made because of Jibbs."

"Jibbs?"

"You know—Jenny and Gibbs," he explained. "I remember someone saying Gibbs made Rule Twelve after Paris."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs roared from nearby, "stop making out with Ziva and get on home!"

"We weren't, Boss!" Tony and Ziva called out in unison, exiting the restroom.

"Uh huh, ri-i-ight," he said sarcastically, walking on. "Now, head home. It's been a long day."

Even as she drove home, Ziva had flashbacks of her dream. _Hear me tonight . . ._

 _Strangers of the heart  
Always safe with words unspoken  
Strangers of the heart  
Don't take chances they'll get broken  
No matter where you are  
Hear me tonight I don't want to be strangers at heart_

 

 **Song: "Strangers of the Heart" by Heart**

 **Sorry if the beginning didn't make sense. However, the first verse is good for visuals, no?**

 **Please review!**

 **~~ Brambleshadow**


	47. Tall, Dark Handsome Stranger

**I know I've used this song in a McAbby fic ("Devil In Disguise") but I figured it works for both McAbby and Tiva. So I decided to put the Tiva songfic in here and leave the McAbby one as a stand-alone.**

 **Enjoy!**

 

Ziva David set her drink down on the bar and glanced to her left, not at all surprised to find a seedy-looking dude studying her with frank sexual suggestion in his eyes. Before he even opened his mouth, she said, "No," and walked away.

He followed her.

"I'm not interested."

The guy still wouldn't go away, so she said, "I could easily kill you with my bare hands—or perhaps one of those plastic straws over there."

 _That_ made him scurry away fast, leaving a smug Ziva behind.

 _I'm so tired of these men trying to impress me with nothing  
The same old routine and the smooth fancy talking  
Now I know and believe that I found it for real  
Cause you're good and you're kind and you care how I feel_

She was tired of men trying to pick her up and impress her with absolutely nada. They also kept doing the same old routine, and fancy talking didn't work on Ziva. Only one person could sweet-talk her, but he didn't seem to be around—until a hand came down on her shoulder and a familiar voice said in her ear, "Was that guy bothering you?"

Unconsciously, she relaxed under his touch. "No, Tony." She was fine now. Ziva now knew and believed that she'd found it for real. Tony DiNozzo—her partner and best friend—was good, kind, and he cared about her.

 _I've had a tall dark handsome stranger  
I've had the devil in disguise  
I've been attracted to the danger  
But I was never satisfied  
And I know what I like  
And I like what I see in your eyes  
Oh, you're so beautiful . . ._

In the past, Ziva had had a tall, dark, handsome stranger—Michael Rivkin, her old Mossad partner—but he'd turned out to be devil in disguise, much like her half-brother, Ari had. The probie knew what she liked and she went for it. Besides, Ziva liked what she saw in Tony's eyes. He also had looks to die for (not that she'd ever tell him that).

 _I've been pushed I've been pulled  
I've been put out and trod on  
Just by taking my chances I finally caught on  
When I see in your eyes all the love shining through  
I'm glad I held out for somebody like you_

She'd been pushed, pulled, put out, and trod on and hated every single minute of it. It had taken Ziva several chances to finally catch on to her feelings for Tony, and his for her.

The former Mossad officer turned around and met her partner's warm, concerned gaze. "What do you say we head out?"

"Sure, if you want," he replied, leaving her feeling all warm inside. The love shining through in his eyes made Ziva so glad she'd held out for him.

 _I had a tall dark handsome stranger  
I've had the devil in disguise  
I've been attracted to the danger  
But I was never satisfied  
And I know what I like  
And I like what I see in your eyes_

Other men she'd seen briefly had just wanted to use her, but Tony wouldn't do that. Besides, she had been attracted to the danger in Rivkin, but she'd never been satisfied.

Tony glanced over at her as they walked along the street. "Ziva, you're being kind of quiet. Is something wrong?"

His voice dragged her out of her thoughts. "Just thinking, that's all."

"Always dangerous."

She lightly punched his arm. "I knew there was something I like about you."

 _Heaven must have sent you I know  
You're so good to me  
I feel good with you  
I'd be such a fool to let go  
There's something about you  
I can't live without you_

He smiled. "Did you just say what I think you did?"

Ziva retorted, "Hey, you're the one who said you couldn't live without me." It was the same for her. There was just something about him. . . . She wasn't sure he'd been sent from heaven, exactly, but he was good to her and she felt so good with him. Ziva would be such a fool to let go.

I've had fast talking good looking men at my door  
Now I'm a wiser woman than I was before

Ever since she'd had fast-talking, good-looking men at her door, Ziva was now a wiser woman than she was before. (Just not always on everything.)

 _I had a tall dark handsome stranger  
I've had the devil in disguise  
I've been attracted to the danger  
But I was never never never satisfied  
And I know what I like  
And I like what I see in your eyes baby_

 _I had a tall dark handsome stranger  
I've had the devil in disguise  
I've been attracted by the danger  
But I was never never never satisfied  
And I know what I like  
And I like what I see in your eyes_

 _Oh yeah  
Yes yes yeah  
I've had a tall dark handsome man yeah  
Oooh  
Yeah  
Oooh-oooh-oooh_

 

 **Song: "Tall, Dark Handsome Stranger" by Heart**

 **Reviews, anyone? Favorite songfics? Requests?**


	48. The Night

**AU**

 _Deep in darkness slumber  
Endless sleep  
Nothing moves inside my funeral suite  
I feel the sun slip down as hunger strikes  
Waking like being born  
Here comes the night_

Abby Scuito stretched her arms out to the side, fighting back a yawn. It was a couple minutes till sunset, but nothing was moving inside her lab, as if it was in endless sleep. In a way, both her apartment and lab were her own funeral suite.

The elevator doors outside Labby dinged open and Timothy McGee strode in. "Hi, Abbs. You doing anything tonight?"

She glanced briefly out the window to see shadows lengthening. Abby could feel the sun slipping down as a wave of hunger struck. The Goth was waking like being born as night came on.

 _All my senses awakened  
By little demons  
Taste the human heartbeat  
Bittersweet  
Bittersweet_

Immediately all her senses were heightened. Abby was distracted from answering Tim's question by the sound of his heartbeat. She could feel her canines lengthening to form fangs at the thought of tasting that bittersweet heartbeat.

"Abby!" McGee said sharply.

The concern in his voice made her struggle to control herself. When her canines resumed their normal shape, Abby finally answered him. "I'm actually not planning on anything tonight, McGee. Why—did you have something in mind?" She smiled flirtatiously at him.

"We could take a walk," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Abby linked her arm through his. "Let's go."

 _It don't take long  
To get back in the groove  
Sharpen up your attitude  
Get down with the moves  
Don't look no stranger  
In the eye  
Walk across some trouble baby  
Just walk on by_

Five minutes later, the two of them were out walking the dark streets around the Navy Yard. It didn't take long for the vampire to get back in the groove.

Abby stiffened when she saw a group of people she didn't know milling around nearby. If she sharpened up her attitude, got down with the moves . . .

"Don't look them in the eye," Tim advised. "Just walk on by."

The vamp proceeded to do just that when one of the guys in the group wolf-whistled at her. Not caring about the consequences, she whirled around angrily so she was facing them, fangs fully extended. The group scampered away.

Tim looked at her. "What was all that about?"

 _No tomorrow—take it right now_

 _In the night I walk alone  
In the night is where I belong  
Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
Hungry night keeps driving me on_

"Timmy, he _wolf-whistled_ at me. You _know_ I _hate_ it when people do that. Besides, I'm with you." She'd give him her soul if he took her flesh at the moment. The hungry night kept driving her on. After all, she was a creature of the night.

 _Neon concrete jungle  
Devour the weak the humble  
Hear the city nocturne  
Makes you burn_

"Uh, yeah, right," McGee said, continuing their awkward conversation. Abby didn't hear him; she had taken a deep breath and was savoring the smells of the neon concrete jungle that was Washington,D.C. devoured the weak, the humble.

 _Oh slip on into darkness  
Sharpen up your awareness  
Get your seven senses working tonight_

 _No tomorrow—take it right now_

She suddenly felt restless. "Race you, McGee," she said, taking off.

"Wait up!" he cried as he chased after her.

It would have been so easy to slip on into the darkness, but Abby didn't. Running through the night, however, sharpened up her awareness, had her seven senses working overtime.

 _In the night I walk alone  
In the night—that's where I belong  
Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
Hungry night keeps driving me on_

Usually Abby walked alone in the night. It was where she belonged, but occasionally she liked having company—usually in the form of McGee. She easily outdistanced the field agent, but encouraged him anyway. The night just kept driving her on—and right now she was _very hungry . . ._

 __No tomorrow—I take it right now_ _

_In the night I walk alone  
In the night—that's where I belong  
Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
Hungry night keeps driving me on and on_

 _In the night I walk alone  
In the night—that's where I belong  
Take my flesh—I'll give you my soul  
Hungry night keeps driving me on  
On and on_

 

 **Song: "The Night" by Heart**

 **:) And yes, I made Abby a vampire. Sue me. The song just totally seems to work for her, no?**

 **Reviews, por favor?**


	49. We Live For Love

_Your love's contagious, one kiss is dangerous  
But I have more to risk than you to lose  
I feel passion growing  
I know that love is only just one inch away from striking us  
We live for love  
We live for love_

Ziva found herself drowning in her partner's green gaze as he closed what little distance there was between them. She promised herself she would indulge in only one kiss—and even that would be dangerous. Still, he was contagious. The only problem was that the probie had more to risk than he had to lose.

All her reservations to be tough where Tony was concerned shattered as she felt his mouth on hers. Their passion grew the longer the kiss went on, and she was glad they were off duty at her place. Love was just one inch away from striking them, as Ziva knew very well.

 _When we get tired and watch the summer fade away  
When you think of romance, what will we do  
Is there a place where we can go  
Where time stands still for those who know  
Till eternity we'll fulfill our desires_

 _We live for love  
We live for love  
We live for love  
We live for love_

After breaking it off, Ziva moved away from him and flopped down onto her couch. She couldn't help but think what would happen if they grew tired of each other and watched as the summer faded away. Without realizing it, she started voicing her thoughts. "Is there a place where we can go—where time stands still for those who know?"

Tony looked at her like she was nuts. "What?"

"Just thinking out loud."

"Oh." Before she could ward him off, he leaned in and kissed her again.

Till eternity, they'd fulfill their desires. After all, they were, quote, "agents of love."

 _I never planned to win the race  
But you convinced me face to face  
There was never a chance of losing at all_

 _We live for love  
We live for love  
We live for love  
We live for love_

A week later, Team Gibbs and Fornell's team were having a field day. Before it was time for her to run in the 5 k, Tony took her aside. He forced her to look at him as he said, "You're gonna win this, Zi. You've run farther distances than this before. There's never a chance of losing at all."

The gun went off after the runners took their marks. Ziva settled herself in the back of the pack, bidding her time until she could make her move.

She'd never planned to win the race, but with Tony's convincing, she did. They all lived for love—be it a hobby or a loved one.

 _We live for love  
We live for love  
We live for love  
We live for love_

 _We live for love  
We live for love  
We live for love_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "We Live For Love" by Pat Benatar
> 
> Definitely not one of my best. I was kinda in a hurry to finish so I could update, though. Reviews are my version of Caf-Pow - and we all know how a Caf-Pow-deprived Abby is. =)


	50. When It Was Me

The elevator doors opened and Ziva David walked into the hallway that led to Abby's lab. She was checking to see how far the forensic scientist was on evidence they had for a case. Ziva made it to the doorway and halted when she overheard Tony and Abby talking about _her_ , the senior field agent's new girlfriend.

"So," she heard Abby say, "what's this girl like?"

 _Ooh, no  
Yeah, yeah_

 _She's got green eyes and she's 5'5''  
Long brown hair all down her back  
Cadillac truck, so the hell what  
What's so special about that_

There was a moment of silence before Tony said anything. "Well, she has this straight shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. Jeanne's about 5'5'' and she's a doctor."

 _Ahh,_ Ziva thought from where she was eavesdropping, _that explains why he's always at the hospital._

"What kind of car does she drive?" Abby asked.

"She used to drive a Cadillac truck, but she sold it and now has a Mustang."

"Cool."

Ziva thought viciously, _So what? What's so special about that?_

 _She used to model, she's done some acting  
So she weighs a buck o' 5  
And I guess she's all right  
If perfection is what you like_

"What else do you know about her, Tony?" the Gothic forensic scientist asked curiously.

 _Yes, do tell,_ Ziva silently chimed in.

She sensed, rather than saw, his shrug. "Not much, but she did some modeling and acting in high school."

 _I was with the Mossad by then,_ Ziva found herself mentally competing. Finally she decided she'd heard enough and walked into Labby. "You have anything, Abby?"

Both of them swung around, looking slightly guilty. Abby said, "No, nothing yet. I'll let the two of you know when I have something. Now go."

They turned and started walking away side by side. Ziva muttered, "I guess she's all right if perfection is what you like."

Tony turned to look at her, but she was gone.

 _Oooh, ooh, and I'm not jealous, no I'm not  
Oooh, ooh, I just want everything she's got  
Ooh, ooh, you look at her so amazed  
I remember way back when you used to look at me that way_

He caught up with her in the elevator. "Zi, you're not . . . jealous are you?" he asked, reaching out and placing his had on her arm without thinking.

Moodily, she shrugged his hand off. "Of course not. Why would I be?" What she was really thinking was, I just want everything she's got.

"Okay, then," Tony said slowly, letting the matter drop—for now. The Mossad officer walked out when the doors opened without looking back.

Whenever the senior field agent talked about his new girlfriend, his eyes lit up. Ziva couldn't help remembering when he looked at her like that.

 _Tell me what makes her so much better than me  
What makes her just everything I can never be  
What makes her your every dream and fantasy  
Because I can remember when it was me_

Feeling restless, she rose from her desk and headed to the restroom, following Tony, who had gone in that direction thirty seconds ago. Entering the men's room, she was relieved to find Tony was the only person there.

He was washing his hands when he caught sight of her in the mirror. Rapidly drying them, he tossed the paper towel in the trash, then faced her. "I take it you want to talk."

"Um, yes." She leaned against the counter so her back was to the mirror and she could study him. There was an awkward pause while Ziva tried to voice what she was thinking. At last she demanded, "Tony, tell me what makes her so much better than me, everything I can never be."

"Ziva," he said after a pause, "you two are totally different. Besides," he added with a small smile, "I'm guessing you don't want to be my friend."

 _I just want to be your lover,_ she thought, but didn't say it aloud. "It's because I can remember when it was me, Tony."

Leaving him standing there, she left, not caring that she almost ran into McGee on his way in.

As the door closed, McGee looked at Tony. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing, probie," DiNozzo replied, exiting the bathroom.

 _And now you don't feel the same  
I remember you would shiver every time I said your name  
You said nothing felt as good as when you gaze into my eyes  
Now you don't care I'm alive how did we let the fire die_

Back at her desk, Ziva was lost in thought, looking blankly into space yet seeing her partner at the same time. Now he didn't feel the same way about her that he had before Jeanne entered his life. Ziva could remember that he'd shiver every time she said his name, whether she startled him or not. Too bad they couldn't go undercover as married assassins again. Even now, a year later, she wasn't entirely sure if they'd been acting the whole time.

Ziva sighed and started tapping the end of the pencil against her desk. DiNozzo didn't seem to care that she was alive. _How did we let the fire die?_

 _Ooh, ooh, and I'm not jealous, no I'm not  
Ooh, ooh, I just want everything she's got  
Ooh, ooh, you look at her so amazed  
I remember way back when you used to look at me that way_

The Mossad liaison tried to tell herself she wasn't jealous of some doctor, but it was hard when she wanted Tony all for her own.

As night fell and everyone left, Ziva decided to use the lonely office as an opportunity to search Tony's desk for any signs of whether he was meeting her or not uninterrupted.

Glancing around surreptitiously to make sure she was the only one in the squad room, Ziva stole over to Tony's desk and began searching. She knew he had two cell phones and had probably taken both of them with him. No help there. Then she found a tiny slip of paper with an address and Jeanne's first name on it. She committed it to memory, thought about what she'd planned to do, then crumpled up the paper slip. No, she couldn't go through with it.

Then she remembered that he'd look at Jeanne like she was the most amazing thing in the world and that he used to look at her, Ziva, that way. She headed for her car and moments later was on the road.

 _What makes her so much better than me  
What makes her just everything I can never be  
What makes her your every dream and fantasy  
Because I can remember when it was me_

 _That made you smile, that made you laugh  
Me that made you happier than you have ever been, oh me  
That was your world, your perfect girl  
Nothing about me has changed, that's why I'm here wondering_

She was back in the bullpen the next morning and once again lost in her own thoughts and memories. Once, Ziva had been the one that'd made him smile and laugh. His world had once been around her—and nothing about her had changed. That was why she was wondering what made Jeanne so much better than her.

Gibbs slammed the phone down into the receiver. "Grab your gear. Our suspect was just found dead."

The team scrabbled for the elevator. As Tony passed her, Ziva murmured so only he could hear, "What makes her your every dream and fantasy, Tony? Because I can remember when it was me."

She was in the elevator surrounded by Gibbs and McGee before he could say anything.

 _What makes her so much better than me  
What makes her just everything I can never be  
What makes her your every dream and fantasy  
Because I can remember when it was_

 _What makes her so much better than me  
What makes her just everything I can never be  
What makes her your every dream and fantasy  
Because I can remember when it was me_

 _When it was me  
When it was me  
When it was me_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "When It Was Me" by Paula DeAnda
> 
> Shocker, I know. Yes, I do know some modern songs. However, after this, it's back into classic rock. Sorry (not).
> 
> Reviews, please? It'd be nice to know if people are reading this. And I seriously want to hear your thoughts.
> 
> ~~ Brambleshadow


	51. Wild Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the song this one's to. And I really don't know where I was going with it.
> 
> The case is the same as the one in the Season 2 episode "Pop Life," but with Ziva instead of Kate. And it takes place after 03x8, "Under Covers."
> 
> I apologize for any OOCness.

The two NCIS agents glanced around nervously in the dark club. Lights played over their faces—one excited about their location, the other wary.

Tony DiNozzo turned to his partner. "Come on, Ziva, we're at a club. Let's have some fun!"

Ziva shook her head, her frizzy ponytail giving her whiplash. "Tony, we're here to look out for one of the dancers, remember?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun," Tony countered, grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the dance floor. At first she resisted, then allowed herself to be led through the throng of bodies. Gradually she lowered her guard a bit and began moving to the thumping drumbeat that filled the club.

 _It's too late to turn back  
When the green lights flash  
It's too late to turn around  
When the love goes down_

 _Your fire my fate  
This woman won't wait  
So love beam your laser light  
Get ready gonna take this flight_

Tony, watching her, grinned and began nodding his head to the beat.

"Having fun, DiNozzo?" Gibbs' voice sounded in his earwig.

Immediately Tony stopped moving his head so Gibbs and McGee, up in MTAC, would have a clearer view of their surroundings via the glasses camera. He answered, "Uh, no, Boss. What makes you say that?"

"Because I know you," the silver-haired ex-Marine said. "Now quit eyeing Ziva like she's a piece of meat and focus on finding Samantha."

"Yes, Boss."

From where she was "dancing" a few feet away, Ziva grinned and leisurely stretched her arms over her head before resting them on her hips. It was too late for them to turn back or around, now that she was actually starting to like this case. After all, she'd never been one to wait—especially where DiNozzo was concerned.

The Israeli sauntered over to him nimbly dodging the nightclub patrons in her path. "Get ready, Tony. We're gonna take this flight."

"You see her?"

"Yep. Let's go." She took his hand and led the way over to Samantha.

 _You're so wild (you're wild and willing)  
You're so wild (your spirit's free)  
You're such a wild wild child (you're wild and willing)  
Oh baby go wild with me_

The petite African-American woman saw them and stiffened. "What are you two doing here?"

"Don't you want to know who killed your sister?" Ziva countered.

Tony added, "We want to help, but we can't do that if you don't cooperate."

"Just leave me alone." Samantha brushed past them and headed backstage.

Tony glanced at Ziva. "That went well."

"Ya think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said sarcastically in both their earwigs, causing Tony to jump.

Ziva smiled slightly and shook her head before moving away and motioning for him to follow. As she did, she thought, _You're so wild—your spirit's free._

"What are we doing, Zi?"

"Go—how do you say?—wild with me," she invited, starting to loosen up again.

"Just get out of there before you do," Gibbs muttered up in MTAC. McGee looked at him with an odd expression. "They wouldn't, would they?"

"Remember that undercover op, McGee?"

Tim grimaced. "Good point. They would."

 _Two hearts one mind  
Oh baby you're my kind  
You're too hot you're too much  
You got that personal touch_

Ziva and Tony were out in the nightclub's parking lot by now without their spy gear. As they walked to her car, their hands would accidentally (or was it?) brush. She could feel an electric current run through her whenever they did.

It was a good thing they were such compatible partners already. Tony was definitely her type.

How they made it to her apartment, Ziva had no idea, but the door was barely closed before he was on her. Too hot, too much, yet he had that personal touch.

 _Push button play thing  
You make my back door ring  
You're fighting fire with a little fire baby  
You oughta know you make this little girl sing_

 _You're so wild (you're wild and willing)  
You're so wild (your spirit's free)  
You're such a wild wild child (you're wild and willing)  
Oh go wild with me_

It wasn't long before she felt hot all over from the kiss. Then his lips moved from her mouth to the nape of her neck. Now he was fighting fire with fire.

Reluctantly, she held up her hands and pushed him back. "Tony, maybe we should wait." Not that she wanted to. After all, her partner was a bit of a wild child. _You oughta know you make this little girl sing._

He hesitated. "If you want."

"But you don't." She tilted her head, black curls cascading down the left side of her face.

"No."

 _You're wild and willing._ "Go wild with me."

He grinned. "I like that idea."

 _You would. Ya make my back door ring._ "Why am I not surprised?" she asked, moving closer.

 _Do your little shake baby rattle and roll  
Ring my bell baby do my soul  
Don't let the grass grow under my feet  
Play my drum baby feel my beat, you're so wild  
So wild_

Once again she felt as if she were on fire. Oh God. Ring my bell, do my soul. "Tony, please . . ."

"What, feel your beat?" he teased, already moving lower.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but— Oh." She shuddered and began moving to her room where they could finish what they'd started. Already she was so close—and they were still mostly clothed. _Do your little shake, rattle and roll. Play my drum, feel my beat. You're so wild, Tony._

 _Oooh, go wild with me (you're wild and willing)  
(Your spirit's free)  
Yeah, yeah (you're wild and willing)  
Yeah, yeah_

 _You're so wild (you're wild and willing)  
So wild (your spirit's free)  
You're so wild, yeah (you're wild and willing)  
Come on, go wild with me (you're wild and willing)_

 _You're so wild (your spirit's free)  
You're so wild (you're wild and willing)  
Go wild with me (you're wild and willing)  
(Your spirit's free)  
You're such a wild wild child (you're wild and willing)  
Yeah  
Yeah_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Wild Child" by Heart
> 
> Reviews, please? It'd be nice to know if people are reading this. And I seriously want to hear your thoughts.
> 
> ~~ Brambleshadow


	52. Will You Be There (In the Morning)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated T, borderline M for implied themes

_I'm lying beside you just thinking 'bout us  
Too tired to go to sleep, I'm too much in love  
I know I'm crazy but I can't close my eyes  
I'm scared you won't be there in the morning when I rise_

Moonlight and shadows played over the walls and illuminated two still forms in the bed. Tony was dead to the world, but Ziva was wide awake. She was lost in thought about their relationship and where it was going. Her eyes were heavy with fatigue, but she was at that stage where she was too tired to fall asleep—and too much in love. It was crazy, but she couldn't close her eyes. The probie was scared Tony would be gone when she rose in the morning.

 _Will you be there  
Who do you dream about  
Are you alone in your sleep  
To who will you reach out  
Oh, let it be me_

Ziva turned her head to the left so she was studying his profile. All of a sudden, she thought, Will you be there? She couldn't help wondering who he was dreaming about—if at all—and if he was alone in sleep. _To who will you reach out? Just let it be me, Tony._

 _Oh baby you're my obsession my addiction my drug  
Don't wanna be without you when I wake up oh no_

He was her obsession, her addiction, her drug. The Israeli didn't want to have to wake up and find him gone.

 _Will you be there in the morning  
Will you be there when I want you  
Will you be there when I wake up  
Oh I need you to be there in the morning  
Will you be there_

Again she glanced over and thought, _Will you be there in the morning, whenever I want you?_ She hated to admit it, but she needed him there with her. Sure, they worked together, but it wasn't quite the same.

Almost without Ziva realizing it, her hand drifted towards his warm shoulder. Then she noticed and pulled back. For all she knew, Tony had started sleeping with a gun under his pillow as well. In all honesty, she wasn't keen on finding out.

 _Well you're so close to me but I feel so alone  
The more that I touch you, oooh the more I want  
Don't know what to do about me loving you  
But I pray to God that you feel it too_

Still, the more she touched him, the more she wanted. It was killing her to be so close to him and at the same time feel so alone. Ziva didn't know what she'd do about loving Tony or how to handle Gibbs if he found out. She prayed to God that he felt it too, that whenever Tony was near her, she experienced the heady rush of a good run or the adrenaline spike that sometimes came with the job description. The probie sighed and moved closer to him, enjoying the warmth of his body in the cool night.

 _Now baby you're my obsession my addiction my drug  
So let the candle grow into a great fire of love, oh yeah_

Ziva was addicted to him. It wasn't as if she could help it, after all. Just let the candle grow into a great fire of love.

Not that she was usually one for corny thoughts. She'd been having a lot of them as of late.

The thought crossed her mind of whether he was dreaming about her and not his ex, Jeanne.

 _Will you be there in the morning  
Will you be there when I want you  
Will you be there when I wake up  
I need you to be there in the morning, ooo yeah_

 _Please be there when I wake up in the morning, DiNozzo,_ Ziva thought, tracing small circles across his back. In sleep, he moaned a little and rolled over, still dead to the world. When she pressed a feather-light kiss to his forehead, though, his green-gray eyes opened. Voice thick and heavy with sleep, he murmured, "What do you want, Zi?"

Only you, corny as it was, popped into her head. "Just hold me for a minute, Tony. It's chill in here."

"You mean 'cold,' " he corrected but did as she said.

She heard him taking her scent into his lungs and buried her nose in the crook of his neck, enjoying the feel and smell of him. It was a good thing they'd finally given in to six years worth of pent-up sexual tension—and she hoped it wouldn't be a fling.

 _I wanna love you forever  
Don't want a love that's now or never  
Can't you see you got me down on the floor  
I want more . . . more_

Ziva wanted to love him forever, not a love that was now or never—one of his usual "dates," which could more accurately be described as one-night stands.

 _Can't you see you got me down on the floor?_ She wanted so much more right now. Without really thinking about it, her lips pressed into the curve of his neck, then met his lips and jawline before moving back.

"Zi, what are you—"

"Make love to me, Tony." She breathed the words across his skin, relishing the way he reacted: slight tremors raced up and down his flesh.

Finally he gave in.

Now she was able to sleep. Her last thought was, _Will you be there . . ._

 _Will you be there in the morning  
Will you be there when I want you  
Will you be there when I wake up  
Will you be there in the morning  
Will you be there_

 _Oohh ooo yeah  
Will you be there when I want you  
Will you be there when I wake up  
Will you be there in the morning  
Will you be there when I want you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Will You Be There (In the Morning)" by Heart
> 
> Reviews, please? It'd be nice to know if people are reading this. And I seriously want to hear your thoughts.
> 
> ~~ Brambleshadow


	53. A Friend to Me

NCIS Special Agents Timothy McGee and Tony DiNozzo were once again on the road, travelling to interview a suspect in their latest case. Since the release of Tim's new book, he'd been subject to torment by Tony and Ziva, who were none too happy that they were portrayed as lovers in the Deep Six series.

Without looking at McGee, Tony, who was driving, flipped on the radio. Within seconds, the opening chords of "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor could be heard and Tim started tapping his foot to the beat and playing an air guitar.

Tony changed the station and a country song could be heard.

 _Well you and I  
We're buddies  
And we've been since we first met  
Me and you  
Well we've been through  
Our share of laughter and regret_

Tony grinned, remembering all the practical jokes he'd played on McGee. Tim saw the grin and smacked DiNozzo on the shoulder. Before the senior field agent could retaliate, the song started up again.

 _Lord knows we've had our bad days  
And more than once we've disagreed  
But you've always been a friend to me_

 _You can be so stubborn  
There's times I think you just like to fight  
And I hope and pray  
We live to see a day  
When you say I might be right_

"You can say that again," Tim commented, earning him a dark look from DiNozzo. Tony had to smile at the next verse, though.

 _And there's times I'd rather kill you  
Than listen to your honesty  
But you're always a friend to me_

"Got that right," DiNozzo snorted.

 _You've always been  
Time and again  
The one to take my hand  
And show me it's okay to be  
Just the way I am  
With no apology_

 _Oh you've always been  
And you will 'til God knows when  
Yes you've always been a friend to me_

"Well, that was . . . "

"Deep?" Tim suggested.

"Thanks, McWriter."

"We're here, Tony."

Immediately DiNozzo pulled into the driveway. It was good to know they'd always have each other's backs, no matter what they went through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "A Friend to Me" by Garth Brooks


	54. Allies

_In troubled times  
It's hard to get straight answers  
Between the lines  
That border wrong or right  
The homeland cries  
It struggles with confusion  
But this feeling still remains  
Like shelter from the rain_

Abby, Ziva, and Jenny stopped talking when they heard the song playing and listened hard. They'd been having a conversation on what the Director should wear to court when Ziva had flipped on the radio tucked in a corner of Jenny's office. All three women couldn't help identifying with the first verse.

 _We live of faith  
In the hands of those who guide us  
And tear the page  
On the fear we left behind  
We set the pace  
For every born survivor  
Don't turn the other way  
When I need to hear you say_

 _Allies with our backs against the wall  
I will answer when you call  
And take on the odds  
For what we believe is true  
Allies in a world of too much choice  
I only need your voice  
To tell me you care  
I'll be anywhere for you, allies_

Abby's eyes widened and Ziva couldn't help scoffing. Jenny smiled slightly, remembering all the times she and Jethro had backed each other up. When Ziva's disgust had waned a bit, she found herself agreeing with the lyrics, though she had no idea why.

 _We search our hearts  
To justify the reason  
And draw the line  
To meet somewhere halfway  
If faith is blind  
Through darkness it will guide us  
'Cause the spirit still remains  
With the keepers of the flame_

"I love that line," Abby commented out of the blue. The others exchanged glances, trying hard not to laugh. They failed.

When the lyrics started up again, Ziva and Jenny quickly shut up.

 _Allies with our backs against the wall  
I will answer when you call  
And take on the odds  
For what you believe is true  
Allies in a world of too much choice  
I only need your voice  
To tell me you care  
I'll be anywhere for you, allies_

 _Allies with our backs against the wall  
I will answer when you call  
And take on the odds  
For what you believe is true  
Allies in a world of too much choice  
I only need your voice  
To tell me you care  
I'll be anywhere for you, allies_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Allies" by Heart


	55. Anxiety (Get Nervous)

Abby was biting her nails. She absolutely _hated_ going to court, and the last time she'd had to, a hit man had replaced the guy originally sent to pick her up. Plus, she looked like a dork in her court clothes. She kept thinking, _Please don't make me do this, please don't make me do this. Where's Gibbs when I need him?_ Oh, yeah, back in the bullpen at NCIS.

 _Get nervous, get nervous  
Get nervous, get nervous, get nervous  
Get nervous, get nervous, get nervous  
Get nervous, get nervous_

The forensic scientist was making herself so nervous as she walked up the steps to the courthouse that she felt nauseous. She just wanted this whole ordeal over with already and it hadn't even started yet!

 _I feel a little shaky, I can't control my nerves  
I know you think I'm fakin', but can't you feel the curves  
I swear to you this feeling, it scares me half to death  
It gathers in my throat and it gathers up my breath_

Abby could feel herself having a nervous breakdown; she felt shaky all over. The Goth took a seat on one of the inside benches, rubbing her temples. Passerby sent her curious glances but didn't do much else. One guy asked if she was okay, but she couldn't answer him, her throat was so closed up. "Hey, you ain't fakin', are you?"

Abby shook her head and choked out, "No. I know you think I am, but can't you feel the curves? Hey, I'm flashing back to a music video in the eighties where this chick is waiting at the dentist's office and is all freaked out. I can't remember the name of it, but it had something to do with anxiety . . . yeah, that was the name of the song. Now, if I can remember who sings it . . ."

"I thought you weren't feeling well," the guy said, looking disconcerted.

"Well, yeah. I scare myself half to death sometimes. Anxiety makes me really talkative. Where's my Caf-Pow. I need a Caf-Pow. Can you get me one?"

He just left without saying anything else. Which was fine by Abby, since her feelings of anxiety were coming on again in full force. It didn't help that a guy had to be carried out of one of the courtrooms in a stretcher.

A man appeared in the doorway. "Next."

The woman sitting next to the NCIS forensic scientist sighed, grabbed her briefcase, and entered. Abby covered her eyes, peeking out through her fingers.

 _Anxiety got me on the run  
Anxiety yeah, I just need someone  
Anxiety can't get nothin' done  
Anxiety spoils all the fun_

The Goth absolutely _did not_ want to go in there. Maybe her nerves were getting the best of her, but she had to call the Director and tell her she couldn't go through. Better yet, maybe she should just up and leave. _Where is Gibbs?_

 _I'm picking up the telephone, there's no one I can call  
I need somebody fast and I can't find no sleep at all  
I wish I could relax, I just can't stop my mind  
I wish I could collapse but my body's not that kind_

She couldn't force herself to relax; her mind was racingracingracing. Her body wasn't kind enough to break down and collapse either; that would have gotten her out of the courthouse real fast. Abby dug in her purse for her cell phone, wondering who to call to bail her out of this predicament. She needed someone there fast. The Bossman?

 _Anxiety got me on the run  
Anxiety I just need someone  
Anxiety can't get nothin' done  
Anxiety spoils all the fun_

The door to one of the courtrooms opened and a broad-shouldered woman pointed at Abby then jerked her thumb over her shoulder. Terrified, Abby shook her head and climbed against the back of the bench, refusing to enter. Her eyes were wide with fear and nervousness. Anxiety spoiled all the fun of her job, sending her the urge to fight or flee.

The woman moved closer, a menacing look in her dark eyes. Oh so reluctantly, the Gothic forensic scientist walked past her into the room and took her place on the witness stand. She could barely remember what she was there for. All she heard was the blood roaring in her ears.

 _Can't you hear my heartbeat, hear the way it sounds  
Can't you hear my heartbeat, you hear the way it pounds  
Just give me something to slow it down, yeah_

Her heart was beating so loud and fast she was surprised the others didn't say anything about it.

Somehow she managed to make it through her testimony but nearly freaked when the judge looked at her. Something about him—and everyone else in this place—suddenly seemed sinister. The eerie green light that she'd just noticed didn't help either. Couldn't they at least give her something to slow down her speeding heartbeat?

 _Sometimes in the city, sometimes in my car  
I pound on the windows like a bee inside a jar_

When the judge said she could leave, Abby bolted, sending up multiple thank-yous to the Powers That Be. She was beginning to think she would never leave. Flashing back to the music video she'd mentioned earlier, she sang softly:

 _"Anxiety got me on the run  
Anxiety yeah, I just need someone  
Anxiety can't get nothin' done  
Anxiety spoils all the fun"_

The forensic scientist made it to her car and nearly had a heart attack when she saw someone leaning against its red paint job. Then she recognized the figure and relaxed. "Thank God it's you, Gibbs. I was going nuts in there. Where have you been all this time?"

He just smiled slightly and shoved off from the car. "Gibbs? Where are you going?"

 _Anxiety got me on the run  
Anxiety yeah, I just need someone  
Anxiety can't get nothin' done  
Anxiety spoils all the fun_

"GIBBS!"

He still didn't say anything, but he did turn around. Was that a flash of yellow in his blue eyes? No, she must have imagined it. Right?

 _Get nervous, get nervous  
Get nervous, get nervous  
Get nervous, get nervous_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Anxiety (Get Nervous)" by Pat Benatar
> 
> I thought this was a fun one to write. What do you guys think?


	56. Barracuda

The NCIS gang was once again hanging out at one of their favorite bars after closing a case. Ziva and Abby were laughing at a joke Tony had told when they felt someone come up behind them. Both women spun around on their stools to see a dark-haired man. He had a notepad and pen ready. Even before he spoke, the two women were eyeing him suspiciously, Ziva wondering if she could kill him with anything on-hand. Glancing around, she concluded that option was a no.

"Do you want something?" the newest addition to Team Gibbs asked the stranger bluntly. She didn't like the way he was looking at her.

"Yeah. You." His gaze flicked to Abby, then back to Ziva as he purred, "If your girlfriend doesn't mind."

McGee choked on his drink and DiNozzo pounded him on the back. When the coughing fit subsided, the junior agent gasped out, "Thanks, man."

"Don't mention it."

Meanwhile, Abby's mouth had dropped open in shock and Ziva's eyes widened. Then a wicked gleam came to her eyes and she hopped off the stool, dragging the Goth behind her over to the karaoke machine nestled in the corner. After rifling through the song choices, the Israeli-American pressed Play.

The familiar guitar riff spread through the room and Ziva smirked at Abby. "You ready?"

She grinned. "Heck, yes." Picking up one of the mikes, she nodded to Ziva to go first.

An evil smile on her face, she did.

 _"So this ain't the end—I saw you again today  
I had to turn my heart away  
You smiled like the Sun—kisses for everyone  
And tales—it never fails!_

 _You lying so low in the weeds  
I bet you gonna ambush me  
You'd have me down down down down on my knees  
Now wouldn't you, Barracuda?"_

The guy hassling them immediately felt scared and Tony and Tim couldn't hide their grins. This was brilliant!

Abby, brown eyes mischievous, sang:

 _"Back over Time we were all trying for free  
You met the porpoise and me, uh huh  
No right no wrong you're selling a Song—a name  
whisper game_

 _If the real thing don't do the trick  
You better make up something quick  
You're gonna burn burn burn burn it to the wick  
Ooooooh Barracuda"_

After a brief instrumental, the two furious women sang in unison:

 _"'Sell me sell you' the porpoise said  
Dive down deep down to save my head  
You . . . I think that you got the blues too_

 _All that night and all the next  
Swam without looking back  
Made for the western pools—silly silly fools!"_

There was another instrumental. Eyes dancing with evil glee, Abby and Ziva set down the mikes and sauntered over to the poor guy who'd hit on the formidable Israeli. He was seriously regretting accusing them of being lesbian when they clearly weren't.

Meanwhile, Gibbs and Ducky were looking on with amused expressions, Palmer was cowering in fear, and McGee and DiNozzo were rocking out, Tony on drums and Tim on air guitar, grins plastered on their faces. The two agents hit every note with precise accuracy, making Abby wonder when they'd found time to play Rock Band or Guitar Hero.

At last, Ziva took up the last verse, making her wrath well known.

 _"If the real thing don't do the trick  
No, you better make up something quick  
You gonna burn burn burn burn it to the wick  
Ooooooohhh, barra-barracuda"_

Tim and Tony played the last few notes with a flourish before slapping hands with Abby and Ziva. "Great job, guys."

"Thanks," the Goth replied before turning to the reporter, hands on her hips. "Do you have anything to say for yourself? And I'll let you know that we'll know if you're lying, I can kill you without leaving a trace, and Ziva here is a former ninja Mossad assassin."

He gulped. "I'm sorry for what I said. I'll never come near you again. Promise."

Ziva exchanged a glance with Abby. "What do you think?"

Smirking, the forensic scientist fingered her spiky dog collar. "I don't know. He could be telling the truth, but kill him just in case."

"Gladly." Ziva's fingers reached for her backup knife.

The guy freaked. "No, don't! Seriously, I am. Please don't kill me."

Abby chuckled. "Man, we're just messing with you. You can go."

Looking half-scared of them, the man walked by slowly before breaking into a run, heading for the doors.

The whole NCIS team's laughter followed him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Barracuda" by Heart
> 
> Honestly, who _doesn't_ know this song? Well, take that back. A lot of my classmates don't. :( Ah, well. As you can probably tell, I used the story behind the song for this one, but I tweaked it a bit. :) This was really fun to write.
> 
> Bye.
> 
> ~~ Jess


	57. City's Burning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda jacked up the timeline in this one, I think.

_Young man is angry, girl is afraid  
She want to get high and he want to get paid  
She had to jump, he had to sit down  
When they heard those words  
About the troubles downtown_

Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo paced around the room, his body tense, his strides short and explosive. Ziva David, his partner, watched him warily. To be honest, he was slightly scaring her, something she'd never thought would happen. The two of them were in her apartment and night had fallen, painting the windows black.

Finally he whirled on her. "Ziva, how could you do that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know bloody well what," he growled. "I never figured you for one to sleep with a suspect."

Her temper flared. "This from the one who fell in love while undercover ?" She shot up from where she'd been lying on the couch into a sitting position, goading him on with her eyes and body language.

Instead of rising to the bait, he heaved a deep sigh. He opened his mouth to say something, clearly still mad, but closed it when the announcement came over the radio that a fire had broken out downtown. At the news, Ziva leaped to her feet, while Tony collapsed into a chair.

"Are they joking?" she choked out.

DiNozzo looked at her, eyes hard. "No, I don't think so," he said.

 _He had to shout, she had to cry  
He wanted to kill, and she wanted to die  
City's burning  
City's burning_

When the announcer said it was the director of a federal agency's house that was on fire, DiNozzo released a hoarse shout. Ziva's eyes turned wet with unshed tears. She hurriedly wiped them with her shirt sleeve and glanced at Tony. The murderous look on his face scared her. Despite the sudden warmth, she felt cold.

Miles away, orange flames licked the night sky.

 _City's burning  
City's burning_

Ziva and Tony glanced out her window and saw tongues of fire and dark smoke rising from downtown and steadily growing closer. DiNozzo cursed and Ziva swore in Hebrew.

"Let's book it!" the senior field agent exclaimed, already heading for the door. The Israeli was on his tail. She remarked, "I never really understood that saying."

He sighed and moved down the hallway. Eventually they reached her car and climbed in, Ziva in the driver's seat. She gunned the engine and they tore out of the place, Tony hanging on for dear life.

 _Grab for the dial, tune out the fright  
But he turns left and she turns right  
She look for love songs, he buys the drive  
But all they can pull is bad news in tonight_

As Ziva drove recklessly through the dark streets, she was trying to tune out her rising fear. It didn't help that Tony kept changing radio stations. Finally it stopped on "Almost Paradise" from the movie _Footloose_ —not exactly something Ziva wanted to hear at the moment, but it was soothing.

"I never thought I'd say this, Ziva, but drive faster."

She grinned despite their predicament and the fact that they'd been arguing only minutes before. "I thought you'd never ask." Her foot the pressed the accelerator to the floor. Anxiety and fear hung unspoken in the air. The only news they could pull in tonight was the bad kind. Where were Gibbs and Director Shepard when they needed them? Then she remembered: Jenny was gone.

 _City's burning  
City's burning_

 _City's burning  
City's burning_

"Where do you want to go, Tony?" she heard herself ask.

"Anywhere but downtown."

"Good point." She swung the car onto a side street, heading for Gibbs' house.

 _Ooooh mama tell me what to do  
Aaaah daddy you better pull us through  
Ooooh mama, mama, mama tell me what to do  
Aaaah now, now daddy you better pull us through_

Since the door to his place was usually unlocked, the two of them just walked in. Right now, Ziva needed someone to tell her what to do. Gibbs was the closest thing to a father she had.

She made her way to the basement, not at all surprised to find the team leader working on his latest boat.

"Ziva," Jethro greeted her. "What are you and DiNozzo doing here?"

"Well," Tony said, "in case you hadn't noticed, there's a _fire_ going on downtown."

"I know. I helped start it. You still didn't answer my question."

"There's a fire downtown and you're working on your _boat_?" Tony was incredulous.

"Yeah. Now, why are you here?"

"This was the first place I thought of," Ziva said. Shifting her stance, she added, "And I need your advice on something. You'd better pull us through."

Gibbs opened his mouth to reply, but instead caught the acrid scent of smoke. "Do you smell that?"

"Not again," DiNozzo complained. He turned on Ziva. "Maybe if you hadn't—"

"I'm not the one who blew an undercover assignment," she hissed.

Gibbs set down the sander and faced them, hands spread. "Someone want to tell me what is going on here?"

"No," they replied.

 _Young man is angry, girl is afraid  
He want to get high and she want to get paid_

DiNozzo was angry at Ziva once again. As she took in the stony look in his green-gray eyes, she could feel her fear rushing back. Earlier, he had been the one wanting to get paid and she had wanted to get high. Now it was the other way around.

 _City's burning  
City's burning_

Flames danced in the night sky downtown, all the while coming steadily closer to where the three NCIS agents were in Gibbs' basement.

The former Marine caught the smell of smoke again. "If you guys don't want to be roasted alive, I suggest we leave."

 _City's burning  
City's burning, burning, burning, burning_

Without speaking, Ziva broke off eye contact with Tony and pushed past him as she raced up the staircase. The two men were right behind her as they booked it the heck out of there.

Outside, it was a mixture of orange flame, black smoke, and incredible heat. The three of them ran, not caring where they were going. All the while, Tony was humming a rock song.

"DiNozzo, shut up and run!" Gibbs snapped. "Anything else wastes energy."

"I don't suppose a headslap—"

He stopped mid-sentence when Gibbs slapped him upside the head.

"That answer your question?"

 _City's burning  
City's burning_

"Yes."

"Good." The ex-sniper lengthened his stride, forcing Tony to do the same to keep up. If they stopped, they were dead.

 _City's burning, burning, burning, burning, burning, yeah  
City's burning, burning, burning_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "City's Burning" by Heart


	58. All I Want For Christmas Is You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little Christmas present for ya. Honestly, the only reason I know this song is because the Christmas radio stations have been playing it almost every three minutes. Anyway, let me know if you like it or not. It's Tiva, as always.

Ziva David glanced around uncomfortably at the brightly-lit stores and crowds of people entering and exiting. Already she was beginning to regret letting Abby Scuito, the NCIS forensic scientist, talk her into going Christmas shopping for the team. The excitable Goth was beside her now, practically skipping along, yakking her head off about something. Then Abby noticed a DVD store, and with a, "Come on, Ziva!" dragged the Israeli inside.

"Remind me what we are doing here," the NCIS Special Agent said.

"Aw, come on. What other store would you go to buy something for Tony?"

"He probably has most of these already."

"It can't hurt to look," Abby said in a persuasive tone.

Ziva sighed. "Well, all right." She fixed the black-haired scientist with a steely glare. "You're helping."

"Of course," Abby replied with a smile, already moving up and down the aisles. Resigning herself to the torture, Ziva headed for the action-adventure movies. She had just started browsing when a now-familiar Mariah Carey song started playing. The only reason she recognized it was because the Christmas radio stations had been playing it every few minutes.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There is just one thing I need  
I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree_

_I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
All I want for Christmas  
Is you_

_Seriously?_ Ziva thought. But for some reason, this song was reminding her of Tony. It wasn't like she loved him, though, right?

_I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There is just one thing I need  
And I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree_

_I don't need to hang my stocking  
There upon the fireplace  
Santa Claus won't make me happy  
With a toy on Christmas Day_

_I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
All I want for Christmas is you  
You baby_

_Oh I won't ask for much this Christmas  
I won't even wish for snow  
And I'm just gonna keep on waiting  
Underneath the mistletoe_

"Yeah, right," Ziva muttered to herself. Honestly, she couldn't see herself doing that for DiNozzo, even if she did sometimes feel more than a brother-sister relationship with him.

_I won't make a list and send it  
To the North Pole for Saint Nick  
I won't even stay awake to  
Hear those magic reindeer click_

_'Cause I just want you here tonight  
Holding on to me so tight  
What more can I do?  
Baby all I want for Christmas is you  
You_

Okay, that verse struck more to home. But Tony had someone else now. He didn't need her.

_Oh all the lights are shining  
So brightly everywhere  
And the sound of children's  
Laughter fills the air_

_And everyone is singing  
I hear those sleigh bells ringing  
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need?  
Won't you please bring my baby to me?_

_Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas  
This is all I'm asking for  
I just want to see my baby  
Standing right outside my door_

_Oh I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
Baby all I want for Christmas is  
You baby_

_All I want for Christmas is you baby  
All I want for Christmas is you baby  
All I want for Christmas is you baby_

_This is ridiculous,_ Ziva thought. _No way do I— Oh, this movie looks good._ She lifted it off the shelf and, after finding Abby in the Sci-Fi section, made her way to the register to pay. Before long, the two women were heading back to the Navy Yard, and _that song_ was playing on the radio—yes, _again_. The Israeli had to bite back a groan.

Glancing to the side, she saw Abby was trying hard not to smile. "What?" Ziva snapped.

"Just that this song reminds me of you and Tony," the Goth replied.

"Right, and I'm a rat."

"It's mouse, Ziva."

"Whatever!"

"Hey, come on, it's Christmas Eve. Surely you don't—"

"Just drop it," the newest agent snarled.

"Dropping it."

"Good." Ziva floored the accelerator, and her red Mini Cooper jumped ahead of the traffic, nearly causing a few accidents and much swearing from other drivers.

_I can't wait to get home._

Minutes later, Ziva was at her apartment, after dropping Abby off at her place. Since it was after hours, they were free to do what they wanted. She had just settled down on the couch, curled up with a mystery novel she'd been trying to read for the past few days, when a knock at the door startled her. Grabbing her gun, she went to the door and looked through the peephole. Not surprisingly, Tony was on the other end.

She opened the door, much to her chagrin. "What do you want, Tony?"

Her partner grinned. "Hey, come on, Zi, it's almost Christmas. Ducky invited us to his house for dinner, remember? You coming?"

"But, Tony, I am not ready."

"Just come as you are," he replied. "You look nice enough as it is."

Glancing down at her white turtleneck and black jeans, she had to suppress a sigh. "All right. Just let me get my coat."

Once she had her gray wool coat on, she headed out and shut the door. Tony swung his arm around her shoulder, which made her stiffen up a bit at the surprising contact. Then his lips brushed over her forehead, so lightly that she didn't feel it at first. He quickly drew back, not wanting to be killed, most likely. Much to her surprise, Ziva found herself wanting more. _Oh, god no. Since when have you become a lovestruck fool?_

Since DiNozzo entered her life, apparently.

It didn't take long to drive to Ducky's, and the rest of the team was already there. When Ziva and Tony took their seats—coincidentally right next to each other—the elderly medical examiner raised his glass. "I want to make a toast," he said. "To family, a wonderful Christmas, and a happy New Year."

Their glasses clinked together and Ziva stole a glance at Tony. _To family_ , she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey


	59. Desire Walks On

_Stand at the window  
Pull back the lace  
I feel the night wind on my face  
All that I long for all that I crave  
Am I master?  
Am I slave?_

A lone figure stood framed by light that shone through the window, appearing to be black against the pale silvery light. Her hand came up and pushed aside the curtain. Ziva David tilted her head up slightly and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool night wind on her skin.

Unbidden, an image of Tony DiNozzo flashed in her mind and along with it came emotions so tangled that she knew she would never figure them out. Could she control her feelings, or was she their slave?

_Ooh the night's so still  
I feel the lovers out in the hills  
The breathing of young girls lying in bed  
Visons of love in their heads_

_Desire walks on  
Desire walks on_

Ziva took a deep breath again, noticing the stillness of the night. She imagined lovers curled up together on a hill out under the sky, staring up at the stars and sharing secrets and love. If she listened hard, she could hear the breathing of the teenage girl next door as she lay in bed, no doubt visions of love and tenderness dancing in her head.

Why couldn't Ziva have that, if desire truely walked on?

_A beautiful boy gazed in a pool  
His eyes looking back like jewels  
The call of the mirror too strong to resist  
The call of the water  
The call of a kiss_

_Desire walks on  
Desire walks on_

Tony gazed down at his reflection in the water, his hands gripping the sides of the counter. He was slightly surprised at the way his eyes stood out, the green-gray orbs reminding him of jadestone—of jewels.

He'd always known he was good-looking, and for reasons neither he nor his coworkers understood, he somehow always managed to turn his job into a personal dating service. But at the moment the call of the mirror was too strong to resist. Or maybe it was something else . . . the call of a kiss.

 _Don't be ridiculous,_ DiNozzo, he told himself. _It's not like you want to see Ziva or anything . . . Dang it. Stop jinxing yourself. It's not as if desire walks on. ___He frowned. _Where'd that come from?_ Not that it mattered, when he was thinking about his beautiful partner.

_(Desire walks on  
It wants to be held, possessed  
It wants consumation  
It moves on obsessed  
Bloodstream through pipes  
Singing in the wires  
Heat, motion, control  
Desire walks on)_

_This is nuts,_ Tony thought as he made his way to Ziva's apartment. _What am I doing?_ But the desire to be with her was too strong to fight. If he tried, it would only urge him on, obsessed. Desire was like a creature with a mind of its own. It wanted to be possessed, consumed, held on to. Left unchecked, it fanned passionate fires, leaving them to blaze of control. It could set your blood on fire, singing in the wires.

As much as Tony's mind was screaming to turn back, that if he kept going he would break one of Gibbs's most important rules, that this was so wrong, he couldn't go back.

Even if he had twenty minutes to change his mind.

_Oooh yeah  
You got me yearning yearning yearning  
Oooh yeah_

_Stand at the window  
The world is so still  
Calling you back by force of will  
Where did you go?  
I don't know why  
Too much longing inside  
You wrapped me in nighttime sexual disguise  
I was the love in your eyes  
Now you took me over  
My innocence cracked  
You own my passion  
I want you  
I want you back_

Glancing out her window, Ziva saw the headlights of a very familiar Mustang coming up her street. Yearning filled her, so strong that it terrified her. The world suddenly seemed still, as if time had slowed. Which was crazy.

The Mustang stopped a few houses down. Its headlights went dark and a lone figure stepped out. Even in the dark, Ziva knew who it was.

 _Tony,_ she thought, feeling a small spark of joy that made her eyes sting. How wierd was that?

While she'd been lost in her thoughts, Tony had vanished.

 _Where'd he go?_ Ziva thought in confusion. She didn't even know why he was here in the first place. Unless he was hoping to get lucky.

_Yeah, never gonna happen._

The knocking at her door proved her wrong.

Ziva whirled around, almost afraid to answer it. Steeling her nerves, she forced herself to go open the door.

"Ziva, it's Tony. Open up."

Her hand tightened around the doorknob, twisted, and pulled it back, opening the door to reveal her partner. She said, "Tony, what—exactly—are you doing here?" The Israeli was proud of the way her voice didn't betray her longing deep inside.

He stepped forward, and she closed the door behind him. Tony faced her, his expression undreadable. There was a pause as he formed his thoughts into coherent sentences. At last, he said, "I honestly don't know, Ziva. I guess . . . I guess I have to talk to you. What I feel for you, it scares me. I mean, Kate was like a sister and I did love Jeanne, but . . ." He paced and raked his fingers through his hair, a frustrated noise in his throat. Then, before she could react, he pulled her to him and slashed his mouth across hers.

This was more than just a kiss. Heat flooded her and stole her breath. She wanted even more than this.

Tony finally broke away. He wouldn't meet her gaze. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to show you. If you want me to, I'll—"

"Stay." The word left her lips before she knew she'd spoken it.

He hesitated, considering his options. "All right."

There was no way she'd thought she'd be able to sleep, but Ziva found it came easily after he took her over. Going back to the way it was before was now no longer an option. But then, maybe it never had been.

_Desire walks on  
Desire walks on  
Desire walks on and on and on  
Oh yeah  
Desire walks on_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Desire Walks On" by Heart
> 
> And just in time for Valentine's Day! Hope you liked it.


	60. Blue Guitar [AU]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally don't blame you guys if you've forgotten about this story. Here's Chapter Sixty. I have the others set up on a list, so there's going to be at least 107 chapters total. Scary, huh?
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't own. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> As far as I can tell, this story takes place at least early '90s, maybe '94. Or present year (2012). I'm not entirely sure. I'll leave it up to you guys to determine that, considering my love of classic rock reared its head yet again.

_Young girl feeling pretty old  
Young girl in the band   
Rolling into another town   
Living the best they can_

The Israeli teenager stared out the van window, watching as the nighttime scenery rolled by. Ziva David and her band were on their way to another small town to play for an apparently huge local event. Until they made it big, they were scraping by on the small amount of money they made from their gigs, but Ziva didn’t really mind.

Her bandmates—bass player Timothy McGee, guitarist Abby Scuito, rhythm guitarist Kate Todd, and drummer Jimmy Palmer—were all crashed out on their seats in the large van. A small smile curled Ziva’s lips as she watched them. They were all in their late teens—Kate was the oldest at nineteen; Ziva was a year younger; and Jimmy, Tim, and Abby were seventeen—so they looked young even during the day, but something about sleep made a person seem two or three years younger than he or she actually was.

They’d been on the road for a few months now, and it was starting to take its toll on Ziva, the band’s lead singer. She felt as if she’d aged a couple years just from the stress of being on tour, although most of their songs were covers from bands like Heart, Led Zeppelin, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Bonnie Tyler, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, heck, even Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. (On the guys’ insistence, they’d even done a couple of Poison and Guns ‘n’ Roses tunes.)

Hours later, the tiny van rolled into Pueblo, Colorado, around ten in the morning. By then, the band was completely fed and awake—although Kate had begun a fight with Ziva for the hundredth time over the leadership of the band, how she should be the lead vocalist instead of the lead guitarist.

The argument stopped when Ziva slammed Kate against the wall of the nearest building (they were out on the street checking the town out) using the training her father—a Mossad operative—had drilled into her. The Israeli leaned in close, one arm resting heavily against Kate’s windpipe, the other resting against the brick wall. She hissed, “That’s it! I’m done. If you want out, you’re out.” 

“Fine!” Kate spat.

She was gone in ten minutes—and she’d taken her guitar with her. 

_Across the street, a music store  
She gotta find a brand new axe   
And there he was, that blue guitar   
He was staring her right back   
Staring her right back_

Coincidentally, across the street was a store called Smashing Good Guitars that seemed promising. (Of course there was—this was Pueblo. Downtown, everything you needed was a block or so away. Then again, it was also incredibly ghetto. Ask any teenager who lived there.) Ziva walked across and went inside. She needed a new axe and guitar player, after all.

Almost instantly her gaze was drawn to a blue guitar, then to the young man standing beside it. He had short, dark-brown hair, green-gray eyes, tan skin—all natural from what Ziva could tell—and lean muscles in all the right places. He was also studying the guitar.

As if he sensed her gaze, his own jerked up to meet hers. Those peculiar green-gray eyes held her, captivated her. Entranced, Ziva stepped closer—close enough to touch him.

“Hi,” she managed. “My name’s Ziva.”

“I’m Tony,” he said. “You looking for a guitar?”

“Guitar player, actually. Do you play?”

“A bit.”

“Do you have a guitar?”

“I was actually eyeing this one here. Why all the questions?”

“I’m the singer in a band, and our lead guitarist just quit.”

“Ouch. Any band I know?”

“Probably not, since we haven’t really made it big yet.”

“Oh.” Tony studied her for a moment more, then grabbed the blue guitar off its stand. “I’m in.”

Ziva felt a grin form, but she was powerless to stop it.

_She held him close and he felt just fine  
He warmed her up—she knew he was just right   
Together they cut right through the night_

By the time night had fallen, they had found their way to the Colorado State Fairgrounds, located on Beulah Avenue. The band was ready to relax and have fun—especially Tony—but they still had to perform.

Around eight-thirty, the band was setting up their equipment in the Pepsi Center. For some reason, Ziva was suffering from a case of nerves—she almost never had stage fright, so this was incredibly annoying—and started pacing the stage, running a hand through her long dark-brown hair.

She suddenly bumped into someone, his hard form already very familiar to her. Glancing up, Ziva saw it was Tony. Her cheeks flushed before she could stop herself, but he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he flashed her his now-infamous DiNozzo grin. It quickly faded when he took in her facial expression. “Zi, what’s wrong?”

She opened her mouth to say “Nothing” but instead said, “I’m nervous. It’s ridiculous—I’ve done shows before.”

“I know,” Tony said, “and you’ll do even more. But isn’t it good to be nervous once in a while?”

Ziva smiled at him, then shuddered as a wave of cold ripped through her. She didn’t wait for an invitation as she rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. After a moment, Tony’s hands were on her back, holding her against him. The heat from his body warmed her up instantly—and holding him close felt just fine to Ziva. He made her believe they could do just about anything.

With Tony around, she could. 

_She made herself a local scene  
And man that axe   
Could sing and scream   
Crying for that big breakthrough   
Only small time local news_

Ziva’s band was set to perform at nine that evening, so when nine o’clock rolled around, they were ready. A small crowd had already formed while they were warming up and tuning the guitars, so at least they had an audience.

The Israeli stepped up to the microphone stand, took the wireless mike out of the stand, and said, “Good night, everybody. We’re, um—”

“Black Lung!” Jimmy Palmer shouted from behind the drum kit.

Everyone in the band turned around and gave him looks ranging from disbelief to disgust. Ziva said, “No, we’re not! Palmer, we’ve talked about this!”

“What?” he said. “It’s a cool code name and a painful way to die!”

“You don’t have to be so excited about it,” Tim McGee muttered.

Abby added, “Besides, we’re a band, not characters in one of your spy novels.”

Jimmy looked extremely disappointed. Ziva turned back to the audience. “Sorry about that. We still don’t really know what to call ourselves, but that doesn’t matter right now, does it? Anyway, here’s our first song. Are there any Heart fans here?”

Quite a few whoops were heard as Tony and Abby began playing the intro to “Magic Man.” That blue guitar of Tony’s sure could sing and scream—and for someone who said that he played “a bit,” he was a really good guitarist.

They went from “Magic Man” to one song after another. Before their last song, Ziva said, “I don’t know how well-known this song is. It’s from a movie made in 1984, _Streets of Fire_. Let us know what you think.”

The rest of the band played the intro to their next song. Ziva, when it was her cue, sang, _“I’ve got a dream ’bout an angel on the beach and the perfect waves are starting to come. His hair is flying out in ribbons of gold, and his touch has got the power to stone. I’ve got a dream ’bout an angel in a forest enchanted by the edge of a lake. His body’s glowing in the jewels of light and the earth below him’s starting to shake.”_

“She’s good,” someone in the crowd said. Ziva heard them, and a smile ghosted across her lips.

_“But I don’t see any angels in the city,”_ she sang. _“I don’t hear any holy choirs sing. And if I can’t get an angel I can still get a boy, and a boy’d be the next best thing. The next best thing to an angel. A boy’d be the next best thing.”_

Ziva crossed the stage, her black slacks and blue halter top clinging to every curve, accenting her lean frame and muscles. Her eyes landed on Tony as she continued, _“I’ve got a dream ’bout a boy in a castle, and he’s dancing like a cat on the stairs. He’s got the fire of a prince in his eyes and the thunder of a drum in his ears. I’ve got a dream ’bout a boy on a star looking down upon the realm of the world. He’s there all alone and dreaming of someone like me. I’m not an angel, but at least I’m a girl.”_

Tony, Tim, and Abby joined Ziva on the next verse as backing vocalists: _“I’ve got a dream when the darkness is over we’ll be lying in the rays of the sun. But it’s only a dream and tonight is for real. You’ll never know what it means, but you’ll know how it feels. It’s gonna be over—over—before you know it’s begun. Before you know it’s begun._

_“Oh, it’s all we really got tonight. Stop your crying, hold on tonight. Before you know it it’s gone tonight. Tonight is what it means to be young. Tonight is what it means to be young.”_

Abby, Tim, and Tony took up backing vocals again, with Ziva taking the lead: _“Let the rebels begin, let the fire be started. We’re dancing for the restless and the broken-hearted. Let the rebels begin, let the fire be started. We’re dancing for the desperate and the broken-hearted. Let the rebels begin, let the fire . . .”_

 _“Tonight is what it means to be young,”_ sang Ziva. _“Before you know it it’s gone.”_ This was repeated once more before they continued with the rest of the song. When they were finished, they had made themselves a local scene. However, while waiting for that big breakthrough, they were still small-time local news.

_Just about to pack it in  
Mr. Money Biz rolled in   
Paid the way—broke the band   
A living one night stand   
A living one night stand_

Tim, Abby, Jimmy, Tony, and Ziva were about to pack it in and leave two weeks later when Ziva received a call from Leon Vance, a big-shot producer. One of his agents, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, had seen them perform at a club downtown and wanted them to join Vance’s record label—or at least take them under his wing. Excited, the entire band accepted the deal.

Soon after, tensions formed within the group. Abby, who was one of Ziva’s best friends, began fighting with her over the smallest things. McGee, of course, sided with his girlfriend while Tony stood up for Ziva. Palmer would either go and hide whenever a row started or fetch Gibbs. The silver-haired agent finally forced them to settle their differences—mostly by a lot of head-slaps—but they were soon working together again in their dysfunctional family unit dynamic.

It was something Ziva never wanted to go through again—all the arguing—but they were like a family and there always would be arguments.

At least she had Tony there to help her.

_She held him close and he felt just fine  
He warmed her up—she knew he was just right   
Together they cut right through the night   
Like touching fire   
Like holding desire   
Like touching fire   
Like holding desire_

Being romantically involved with one of your bandmates was never usually a good idea, but if Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo could make it work, why not Ziva and Tony?

The teenagers were lying together in bed only half awake. It was another cold night and Ziva relished the warmth from Tony’s body. He rolled so she was curled into him, and the next thing Ziva knew, they were making love—touching fire, holding desire.

_Take this platinum, take this gold  
Burn too hot, it turns you cold   
Nothin’ left to hold on to   
But that guitar was always true   
That man was always true _

The band’s first album went platinum, then gold. Flushed with success, they used the dough to start work on the second record.

It didn’t take long for the band, what with new tensions, threaten to break up. Fame burned first hot, then ice-cold. Ziva had nothing left to hold on to when Vance split up the band after four years—nothing left but Tony and his navy-blue guitar. They would always be there, would always be true to her. That blue guitar would also remind them of their very first meeting, and all the events that followed.

_She held him close and he felt just fine  
He warmed her up—she know he was just right   
Together they cut right through the night   
Like touching fire   
Like holding desire   
Like touching fire   
Like holding desire_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Blue Guitar" by Heart
> 
> The song Ziva was singing is "Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young" by Fire Inc. from the 1984 movie _Streets of Fire_. I really want to see it, but the best I can do is clips from YouTube.


End file.
